Unwilling
by Nonny The Anon One
Summary: Vlad has died and left everything to Danny with conditions. Now Danny needs to find Sam who ran away to France years ago and convince her to marry him, but will it all work out?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom or any of the related characters.**

**Summary: Vlad has died and left everything to Danny, but he has conditions, lots and lots of conditions**

**5-4-08: Two years later and I have FINALLY finished editing this story. Nice To be done with it.**

Unwilling

It was four in the afternoon, twenty-one year old Danny had just hung up the phone. He sat with a thud, wearing a profoundly shocked expression on his face. He'd just received a call from Vlad's attorney, Mr. Porter. At first, Danny assumed Vlad was suing him, and it had taken a bit of patience and careful repeating on the attorney's part to make Danny, who was in complete disbelief of the situation, understand.

"Mr. Master's is not suing you Mr. Fenton," the attorney explained patiently, his voice full of sadness. "He has passed on."

"Passed on?" Danny asked in confusion as he shoved his hand into his hair. He understood what the attorney was saying, he just couldn't believe it as he cradled the phone to his ear and rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Fenton," Mr. Porter began in a very gentle, consoling tone. "I assumed you knew."

"Knew what?" Danny questioned, his voice raising slightly in pitch. His mind was racing so fast he couldn't think straight enough to accept what the attorney was trying to convey. The attorney was extremely patient in departing the news to someone who just wasn't able to comprehend what he was being told.

"Mr. Master's passed away last weekend," Mr. Porter answered gently. "I am sorry to be the person to impart the news that you have lost a loved one. I myself have been appointed to carry out his final wishes."

Danny was silent for a moment as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Final wishes?"

"Yes," Mr. Porter answered with a slight edge of annoyance blooming in his voice. "His last will and testament."

"Are you telling me," Danny began then closed his eyes for a moment. "Are you saying that Vlad Masters is dead?"

Mr. Porter sighed very heavily. "I was trying to put it a little more gently, but yes, Mr. Masters is dead. It was very sudden."

"A-an accident?" Danny asked as his mind was racing with a million questions and he was not at all focused on anything the attorney was telling him.

"Massive coronary," Mr. Porter answered tiredly then finished the call as quickly as possible, promising to fill Danny in on all the details when they met to discuss the terms of Vlad's will. The call ended with Danny still stunned.

He sat on the couch at Fenton Works and just stared up at the ceiling in disbelief. He had been living at home since dropping out of college. His parents Jack and Maddie had fallen into some rough financial waters, and were struggling desperately to make ends meet and to hold on to everything they'd work so hard on for so many years. They were unable to afford a college bill for one child, let alone two.

Danny, in his own self sacrificing heroic way, had taken up the mantle of responsibility for his family. He dropped out of college in his freshman year and worked overtime to help pay Jazz's way through school. He barely had time or energy to fight ghosts, but some how he managed.

"Danny? What's wrong?" Jazz, now twenty-three, asked fearfully as she walked into the living room and found her brother sitting on the couch, bent forward with his head in his hands.

Danny looked up blearily at his sister as she sat beside him. She scanned his face worriedly as she brushed the hair from his face. He looked at her with wide shocked eyes.

"What's wrong?" she queried gently, her eyes full of concern and pain. She was incredibly grateful for everything Danny had done for her. She did her best to wrest as many burdens from his shoulders as possible. She worried about him and felt small, mean and selfish for taking advantage of his generosity.

"I just got a phone call from Vlad's attorney," Danny answered, taking a deep calming breath. "You're not going to believe this…."

Tears filled Jazz's eyes. She took a deep shaky breath and put her hand over her mouth for a moment. "Don't say it, Danny. Please." She closed her eyes and began to visibly shake.

"Don't say what?" Danny asked as he watched his sister, who had grown slightly less self assured in the last few years, begin to panic. He would never have imagined that Jazz would be upset if Vlad died.

"H-he's suing us for something isn't he?" Jazz asked almost hysterically. She stood and walked around the living room, wringing her hands frantically. "We don't have anything to take anymore, Danny!" she practically shrieked. "He's taken almost everything from us! Why won't he leave us alone?"

Danny stood and took his sister by the shoulders. "Jazz," he said calmly as he looked into her fearful gaze. "Vlad isn't suing us."

Jazz sniffled as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "He's not?" she asked softly.

Danny shook his head, then sighed. "No, because he can't. He's dead."

"No!" Jazz gasped as she put her hands back up to her mouth, her eyes going wide with shock.

"Last week," Danny told her, gently. "He has left me something in his will I think,"

"Something in his will?" Jazz asked skeptically. Danny nodded his head. The brother and sister looked at each other for a minute.

"Vlad Masters," Jazz said very slowly. "Is dead?" Danny smiled slightly and nodded his head.

"That psychotic, crazed up fruit loop who has made our lives a living hell, is dead?" Jazz asked again, as the corners of her previously sad mouth, turned up into a shaky smile.

"Yes," Danny answered as a tiny bubble of joy rose up in his chest.

"Hallelujah!" Jazz screamed as she threw her arms around her brother. The two siblings danced around the room giddily, celebrating with great joy the passing of Vlad Masters.

"Where is he buried?" Jazz asked eagerly her eyes bright with something akin to madness, which frightened Danny slightly.

Danny shook his head warily. "I don't know," he answered. "Why?"

"Because I want to dance on his grave!" Jazz cried and Danny laughed and the siblings embraced again.

* * *

"Why are you so happy tonight?" Valerie asked pleasantly as she smiled and sat beside Danny on the couch in her apartment. Danny looked at her warily, she'd been trying to talk him into moving in with her for months, but he refused to leave home. His family needed him, and the truth of the matter was, he knew he wouldn't be able to hide his ghostly identity if they lived together. He couldn't reveal his secret to her just yet. Valerie had given up ghost hunting, but she was still ambivalent toward ghosts and Danny Phantom.

Valerie had been very patient with Danny, but she was growing tired of the wait. She was ready to start a life together with him.

They'd been dating for three years, it would have been longer, but Valerie had respectfully, and very carefully, waited for Danny to get over Sam. Even though he denied that he'd ever had a relationship with Sam Manson, Valerie suspected otherwise.

What had caused the break up between the two friends, was something of a mystery to everyone but Danny, Tucker and Sam. For Valerie, it was enough to know that Danny was free and Sam who said she would never return to Amity Park. Valerie was so pleased with the disappearance of her rival, that she never gave her a second thought.

"I have some really good news and something to ask you," Danny told her happily as he took her hand. He looked at Valerie's palm and sighed, for a long time after Sam left, he couldn't even hold Valerie's hand without a twinge of guilt, but now he was over it. He'd moved on. It was time to take the next step.

"Really?" Valerie asked, her lips curling in amusement as she looked into Danny's sparkling blue eyes.

"First things first," Danny said as he moved off the couch and knelt down on one knee.

Valerie's grin widened. "What are you doing?" she asked excitedly.

"Something I wish I could have done a long time ago," Danny answered somberly. He closed his eyes and sighed for a moment, doing everything to let go of the one ghost which haunted him, who he couldn't fight, couldn't be rid of, Sam.

"What?" Valerie questioned shakily then held her breath.

Danny took her hand and asked, "Valerie, will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes!" Valerie answered without a second thought as she threw her arms around Danny. "Yes! Yes! I thought you'd never ask." Neither did Danny who hugged her back and laughed as he tried to rid himself of the sick feeling which had settled firmly in his stomach.

* * *

Tucker looked at the caller I.D. and grimaced, he felt horrible for not wanting to talk to Danny, but nine times out of ten, Danny would bum ten or twenty bucks off of him before the call was over, and it made Tucker feel uncomfortable and somewhat used.

It wasn't as though Tucker begrudged lending, well, no giving Danny money. It was just that, the more Tucker gave him, the less he saw of Danny. Money was driving a wedge into their friendship and Tucker didn't know how to change things. He hated losing the only best friend he had left.

He knew that Danny only asked when he was desperate, when there was no food in the house, or when he didn't have enough money to pay for something Jazz needed for college, which was seldom these days at least. Even so it was hard on them, hard on their friendship. Danny was too overcome with guilt and shame to face Tucker on a level playing field.

Tucker didn't try to keep tabs on how much money he'd given Danny over the past few years, but he kept detailed notes about all his spending, and his records showed that over the last three years Danny had borrowed over five or six thousand dollars. It almost shocked Tucker when he was confronted with the figure. He didn't mind, he would do anything to help, but Danny must have kept a tally and had grown cold toward him. The equality in their friendship had faded and now Tucker was the person who Danny was forced to crawl to when he was in trouble or need.

"Hey," Tucker said as he answered the phone, trying not to sound anything less than pleased to hear from Danny. He felt like a stern stuffy banker though, wretched and uncared for. He missed his friend.

"You're not going to believe this Tuck," Danny said quickly. "I would have called and told you sooner, but I had to tell Val first."

"What? Tucker asked curiously. It was unlike Danny to sound this happy, or this excited. Had he got a raise? Had the creditors erased Jack and Maddie's debts? Tucker's mind raced. He was almost afraid to hear what Danny was going to say. So much bad luck had befallen his best friend in the last few years, that Tucker didn't think he could bare to watch Danny struggle anymore.

"Vlad is dead!" Danny blurted out. "Vlad is dead and I asked Valerie to marry me and she said yes."

"What?" Tucker asked in complete shock. "That's too much to process all at once! I'm not sure if I should say congratulations or offer my condolences. I don't know which emotion would fit with which announcement." Actually, he did know how to place the emotions, but he wasn't about to tell that to Danny.

"You heard me," Danny said happily, obviously about to explode with joy.

"When did he die?" Tucker asked, wanting to steer clear of the subject of Valerie.

"Sometime last week," Danny answered happily. "I'm meeting with is attorney tomorrow to discuss the terms of Vlad's will."

Tucker opened and closed his mouth a few times. "Why would anyone need to discuss Vlad's will with you?"

"I don't know!" Danny answered in exasperation. "All I know is that I have a meeting with Mr. Porter in the morning."

"I advise you not to get your hopes up," Tucker said warningly as his stomach clenched. "Because you know Vlad, he probably has one large evil parting shot to throw at you."

Danny took a deep breath. "Well, I'm trying to be optimistic about all this."

"Just not too optimistic ok?" Tucker warned. He heard Danny sigh on the other end of the line. The lack of balance in their relationship was showing again.

"I'll try, but Tuck this could solve all my problems. I could pay of Mom and Dad's debts and…and maybe go back to school myself.

Tucker closed his eyes at the mention of college. Danny had dropped everything to take care of Jazz's dreams. He had been working so hard that he missed out on his own plans for his future. Danny was stubborn, and it was that trait which lost the other half of their trio, Sam. Tucker had been hurt when she left, but Danny took it the hardest as he fell into a very long, very dark depression that just never managed to lift.

He hoped for Danny's sake, for Jazz's sake and for all the Fentons, that all of this wasn't some cruel trick on Vlad's part. He however, knew better and had very little faith.

Danny sat in Mr. Porter's office, wearing his one and only suit, staring at the nearly bald headed attorney in shock.

"The terms of Mr. Master's will are very specific," Mr. Porter said calmly and slowly. "He wanted the entire bulk of his estate to go to you. All business holdings, all personal effects, everything. There is not one penny or one thread of his estate he hasn't willed to you."

"What is the catch?" Danny asked trying to keep from shaking. The solution to all his problems was right within his grasp, and he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Vlad was trying to screw him over, if only for one last time, from beyond the grave. He and Tucker had talked over the possibilities and Danny had steeled himself for the worse.

"Yes, yes," Mr. Porter said as he shuffled through papers. "There are a few conditions."

Danny closed his eyes. "What are they?" He had been ready for it, but it was hard.

"We'll it's simple really," Mr. Porter answered absently. "You need to get married…."

"Married?" Danny asked in surprise. That wouldn't be too hard he'd already had a fiancée.

Mr. Porter shuffled through papers. "I know it was here," he said to himself as he adjusted his bi-focals. "Yes, yes. You are to marry a girl by the name of Samantha Manson." Mr. Porter looked up at Danny over the glasses perched on his nose.

"Sam?" Danny whispered in disbelief. "He wants me to marry Sam?"

"No," Mr. Porter said as he shook his head. "Samantha. Samantha Manson. The conditions are quite specific. You must marry her within the next two months. Your marriage must be a true marriage in every sense of the word. A counsel will stop by for surprise visits to verify the veracity of your marriage.

You must live together in the mansion in Wisconsin. You will receive 150,000 when proof of your nuptials can be obtained. When you've been married a year, you will receive 500,000 each year for five years. If children have resulted from the union within that time, all assets will become yours fully, otherwise you will inherit them in ten years after the date of your marriage to Miss Manson. Should you divorce at anytime during this period, then all money will cede back to the estate and which you will be required at an interest rate of twenty five percent accrued annually"

"I haven't seen Sam..er..Samantha in over four years," Danny told the attorney calmly. His mind was racing. He didn't know how to find her and heartily suspected that when faced with the question of marrying him, she'd tell him and everyone to go straight to hell.

"Well, perhaps she's married then," Mr. Porter said with a warm smile. "If she's currently married then you are free and clear, you inherit all of Vlad's estate with no conditions."

Danny took a deep breath. "And what if I refuse to follow the conditions?"

Mr. Porter frowned. "Then all of Vlad's estate will revert to the A.G.W." He paused. "Do you know what that stands for?"

"Yeah," Danny said flatly as his stomach sank. "The Association of the Guys in White." It was an organization which was formed by former Men in White. They were dedicated to hunting down and destroying all ghosts, fortunately however; they didn't have the funding to be much of a bother. The problem was, with Vlad's money, the ghost hunters would make his life hell, they'd eventually capture him and his fate would be sealed

The attorney told Danny that Ms. Manson had already been contacted and was on her way back to Amercia. Danny snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Mr. Porter dumbly, forcing the man to sigh heavily and repeat his statement.

"Back to America?" Danny asked in bewilderment. He hadn't seen Sam since their last fight, when she packed up and disappeared without so much as a good bye. He hadn't tried to find her at first, thinking he'd give her some space, but then she was gone without a trace and not even Tucker had heard from her over the years.

"She's been living in France, Paris to be precise, but that's all I know." Mr. Porter told him kindly. Danny nodded his head like he understood.

"Her flight arrives at four twenty tomorrow evening," Mr. Porter said as he handed Danny a pamphlet with flight information as well as legal documents in the event he'd like to have his own attorney to look them over. "You need to pick her up. She's expecting me, but I have some familial business I must attend to."

"This is crazy!" Danny half shrieked as he looked at the paper with Sam's flight information. His heart was thumping painfully in his chest at the mere thought of seeing her again. What would he say to her? What would she say to him? Did she still hate him? He felt tears prickling in his eyes and he blinked them back.

"You can try to contest the will," Mr. Porter suggested. "But Mr. Master's made sure it was iron clad and watertight."

Danny ran his hand through his hair, and wondered how he was going to break the news to Valerie. There was no way he could turn down the money. Jazz needed to get her doctorate. His parents needed to catch up with their bills. 50,000 would go a long way to alleviate their aches and pains, and of course he couldn't let the money go to the former Men in White.

Danny hadn't thought about Sam in a long time. He purposefully tried to not think about her. She'd left him without so much as a good bye. She had given him no reason. One day she was there, the next she was gone, and not even Tucker had known where she went.

"Thank you," Danny said as he shook the attorney's hand, his mind already flying on a plan with Sam.

"I'll be in contact with you on Monday," Mr. Porter said kindly as he watched Danny worriedly. "Bring Ms. Manson with you and we'll begin outlining all the particulars of Vlad's will."

"Thank you," Danny repeated then left the attorney's office and walked to Valerie's car. She sat waiting with a serene smile on her face, and he sighed.

"What did he say?" Valerie asked softly as Danny sat in the passenger seat, then leaned over and kissed his fiancee's cheek.

"Vlad's willed everything to me," Danny told her flatly.

"That's fantastic!" Valerie squealed happily. "You're parents are saved! You can finish college!"

Danny took a deep shaky breath. "But there are conditions," Danny told her. Valerie gave him a worried look.

"What kind of conditions?" She asked softly. Danny shook his head, he figured it would be easier to tell her that he was part ghost than it would to tell her Sam was about to walk back into their lives. He needed to absorb the information first. He needed to decide what he should do. He needed to talk with Jazz and Tucker about revealing his secret to Valerie. He looked at her sadly and she looked back her eyes filled with worry.

"I can't tell you yet," Danny told her gently as he squeezed her hand.

Valerie sighed in exasperation then started the car. "Why not?" she asked angrily as she squealed the tires as they headed out of the parking lot. "You need to talk to Jazz and Tucker first! Right? Why do I get shut out? Why?"

Danny shook his head as he watched Valerie zip through traffic. "I can't explain Val." This was a fight they had often in their relationship, his dependence and trust in Jazz and Tucker.

"You know what Danny," she said as she pulled away from the attorney's office. "We're getting married. All the secrecy has got to end! Are you ever going to trust me with anything?"

"I will," Danny told her as his stomach double knotted. "I promise. This is the last time. After this I'll never keep another secret from you." Valerie shook her head in disbelief as she concentrated on driving. Danny watched her sadly. The news about Sam was enough to send Valerie into a fit of rage. If Danny told her that the will demanded he marry Sam well, a massive explosion would result. He hoped that he'd never have to tell Valerie, that another solution could be found. Danny's stomach triple knotted. Maybe Sam was married now and all of this upset would be for nothing.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Bluemyst19 who has been a huge help in bouncing story ideas and giving me plot bunnies and twists of epic proportions. Ok, yeah I know I thank Blue in ALL my fics, but gimme a break she's my best friend people.**

**Fun fact: I do not speak French. I used the Altavista translator. If you speak French and would like to correct my phrases, simply PM me and **

Chapter Two

"Are you sure you want to do this, Cheri?" a heavyset woman with her gray hair tucked up in a frowzy bun, asked as she studied Sam's determined face.

Sam paused as she finished counting the money in her hands and smiled slightly at the older woman. "Oui," she answered almost happily. "I'm quite sure Madame LaRouche."

"And you have no sentimental attachment to any of this?" Madame LaRouche asked in bewilderment. "These were Jean Paul's treasures, Cherie." She looked at the paintings and rare antiques, which Sam had just sold to a private collector.

"It's time to move on," Sam replied almost coldly, her tone and expression almost robotic. "Jean Paul wouldn't want me to cling to his things and mourn."

"And you are moving back to America?" Madame LaRouche asked gently.

"Yes," Sam answered stiffly. She wished Madame LaRouche would stop interrogating her. "I've been called back on business, and I've decided I'm going to stay. Maybe I'll tour the country, live in New York. I've always wanted to live in New York, in an apartment next to a jazz pianist." Sam smiled wistfully then looked again at Madame LaRouche whose eyes were bright with unshed tears.

"Oh Cheri," Madame LaRouche sighed. "I cannot tell if you are joking or serious. I cannot tell if you are simply strong or cold hearted. I thought you loved Jean Paul! The way you two were with each other was, passionate and he loved you, I've never seen a man so besotted with a woman as Jean Paul was with you."

"None of it was real, Madame," Sam replied stiffly as she fought back the tears springing into her eyes. She squeezed them shut tightly and willed the aching sting of sorrow and betrayal away, letting all her more tender feelings be replaced by anger.

Madam LaRouche reached out to touch Sam's hand. "But he was your husband, Cherie and now he's dead and…"

"He was a philanderer," Sam hissed coldly as she pulled away from the concerned woman. "A wretched, dirty, unfaithful pig." She wiped several traitorous escaping tears from her eyes and glared at Madam LaRouche as the elderly woman looked back in dismay.

Sam had believed everything was fine with her husband of two years, they'd had a long courtship, a very happy relationship, and a wonderful marriage. He was passionate and strong, funny and charismatic. He drew people to him like bees to honey and he treated her as though she was the only woman in the world. She had loved him.

It wasn't until the funeral that Sam found out about his duplicity. His many, many, many lovers showed up to the service in droves, all mourning Jean Paul Jardin, Sam's husband the man whom she had believed loved her above all else, who she had trusted above all else, was a liar and a cheat.

She had been heart broken and hysterical when the police came to her door with the devastating news that her husband had been killed in a car accident. She'd fallen apart and had to be sedated for a time. He was all she had in the world. She loved him with most of her heart, at least she had, up until the moment that she learned of all his many infidelities, and then that love was replaced with hard cold anger.

They had all come to speak to her, his lovers, some crying on her shoulder, some expressing regret and sorrow, others just burdened her with their guilt. One woman admitted she was with him when he died. She walked up to Sam with a caste on her leg and tears on her face and apologized. She told Sam she hadn't known he was married.

Sam had stood at her husband's grave side, her heart frozen in anger. She wrenched her wedding ring from her finger, and threw it on to his casket and walked away. She buried her love for Jean Paul that day, and she vowed that she would never look back.

As the months wore on, more evidence of her husband's duplicity became apparent. He had gambling debts, leaving Sam nearly destitute. She supposed as she sat in the small apartment they had shared since the beginning of their marriage, that she could ask her parents for help, but they had disowned her soon after she'd married Jean Paul. To further separate herself from the life she knew before, she had given up her trust fund to charity, so she had nothing, not even the memory of a loving husband to sustain her.

Then, when all seemed at it's darkest, and all was lost, she'd received a letter. A few phone calls later had furnished her with a plane ticket. She knew she'd have to face Danny again, but wasn't looking forward to it.

She had loved him oh so many years ago, and left because she couldn't the pain of his cluelessness anymore, or his rejection. She conceded that her pride was a weakness, but then she'd found happiness, so her admittedly stupid and immature reaction really had served her well, at least until Jean Paul died.

Danny had always been clueless to her feelings, and when she finally exploded and confessed everything; Her feelings, her anger, her hurt…everything. He had just sat and looked at her with a stupid look on his. Then as she sat and cried after spilling our the precious contents in her heart, he left. He just walked away. So, she left too, but she never returned. She didn't go back. She didn't want to hear him apologize for rejection her or see their friendship deteriorate because of her stupid decision to dump her feelings on him. The biggest contact she'd had with her past was in sending a Christmas card to Tuck every year, and that was it. She was done with Amity Park for good, up until the letter.

Sam wasn't sure what to think when the letter arrived and she learned Vlad had died. She was surprised that Vlad had bequeathed all his estate to Danny, but then laughed at the news that it's release depended on something from Sam. She wasn't sure what role she was to play, but she knew Vlad and that had to be something horrible. She figured that Vlad intended to use her as a tool to hurt Danny, but wasn't about to let Vlad have the final win.

She considered not taking Vlad's bait and just keeping herself out of the war between the two half ghosts, but the plane ticket. was her way out of her old life, so she decided it was in her best interest to see what Vlad had up his sleeve, besides it would be good to see Tucker again…and maybe even Danny too.

* * *

"Stop fidgeting," Tucker told Danny for the millionth time as they stood at the airport and watched the dim blue arrivals screen. Sam's plane had landed and they had been waiting at the gate for what seemed like an eternity. Danny just looked at Tucker and continued to sway back and forth nervously. What he would say to her? What could he say to her?

Sam's arrival seemed to happen in slow motion. Tucker saw her first. He broke into a grin as he moved forward, calling her name. Danny wasn't sure what to expect but the same Sam as always, was not it, or maybe it was.

The petite dark haired woman with the black carry all looked just like Sam. Same dark short hair, no pony tail. She was wearing light blue jeans, a black long sleeve shirt and was still deathly pale and bone thin. The only thing that had changed were her dark circled eyes. Yes, they were still lavender and beautiful, but they were so sad, she looked like the life had been sucked right out of her. Danny felt like he'd been punched in the stomach. He wanted to run to her, cradle her, take the pain from her face and make it all better some how.

Her dull eyes lit up as she realized who was calling her name. She dropped he bags and ran full on into Tucker's arms, nearly knocking the techno geek down in the process as she shrieked in joy.

Danny said nothing as his friends embraced. Both were sobbing as they declared how much they missed each other. He walked over and picked up Sam's bag from where she'd dropped it, then waited with his heart in his throat for them to break apart.

Danny's lungs seemed to have stopped working and he had to force himself to take several deep breaths. He waited for what seemed like an eternity, watching as Tucker and Sam moved apart then looked into each other's faces. In any other circumstances, he would have found the reunion touching.

"You haven't changed at all," Tucker declared, his voice breaking with emotion as he searched Sam's face, his eyes filled with tears.

"You either," Sam said as she poked Tucker's stomach and he smiled. They looked at each other a moment longer before Sam turned and looked at Danny. Her eyes met his and his heart constricted painfully. He wasn't sure what to say or do, but more than anything, he wanted to hold her, just hold her.

"Hey, Danny," she said softly and tears filled his eyes. He wanted to step forward and take her in his arms like Tucker had, but he couldn't. He was afraid she would push him away.

"Hi," he returned shyly. Sam smiled and moved toward him. Danny found himself stepping forward, and then her arms were around him and he was holding her, finally. His Sam. He was vaguely aware of someone making strange strangled sobs of anguish as he rocked her from side to side, and it took him several minutes to realize those cries were being torn from his throat as he held her and shook.

Danny berated himself for shaking. Why the hell was he crying? But, he knew why. It was because his entire life had fallen apart when she left. The moment she disappeared, his whole world had broken apart piece by piece, and now maybe since she was back it could be put together again.

"Danny," Sam sighed as she closed her eyes, feeling incredibly overwhelmed. She knew should be happy to see him and she knew she shouldn't have hugged him and even know should have been pushing him away. She didn't want the warm feelings his presence ignited invading her heart nor did she want the tingling attraction coiling in her stomach as he held her close. She felt that if she stayed one moment longer in his arms that she'd lose control. Sam needed to stay in control or she'd become a sobbing mess and never stop crying, beg him to never let her go, and make a fool out of herself once more.

He pulled away and for a moment, and the look on his face made her afraid he was going to do something crazy like kiss her. Her eyes filled with fear and he looked at her questioningly.

"Where have you been?" he asked as his eyes hungrily searched her face, taking in every change, rememorizing every line. His stomach clenching as her violet eyes looked back at him, filled with fear.

"France," she answered stiffly as she pushed away from him and took her bags from Tucker. She'd had enough and couldn't stand any more. "And now I'm tired from the long flight. Take me to my hotel!" She smiled to soften her statement and both of her friends lead her out of the airport. Her friends, she thought wistfully, her boys. She shut her eyes tight. She had fooled herself into believing she could face Danny unemotionally. She was wrong and now she was angry at herself for being so weak.

"You're not staying at a hotel," Tucker told her as he lead her to his car.

"What?" Sam and Danny asked in unison. They looked at each other a moment. Danny smiled slightly and Sam grimaced in almost annoyance.

"I said you're staying with me," Tucker answered cheerfully as he opened the passenger side door for Sam.

"Why?" Sam asked as she smiled wickedly at her friend. "So you can have your way with me."

Tucker grinned at Sam cheekily. "You know it, Baby."

"You two are disgusting!" Danny growled. Both Tucker and Sam cracked up laughing. Danny felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach, and he wondered for a moment if Tucker wasn't serious as he eyed his friend from the back seat. He watched Tucker looking at Sam who was responding tiredly but happily. He finally decided it was just Tucker and Sam acting as they always acted, like friends.

Danny felt grumpy and left out as he watched Tucker and Sam re-establish their old bonds, growing comfortable with each other instantly. It was like they'd never been apart. Tucker tried to draw him into old reminiscences, but the moment he entered into the conversation, Sam withdrew. It was like a badly choreographed, uncomfortable dance which left Danny feeling lost.

"Can you drop me at Val's?" Danny asked stiffly. He wanted to get away from them and the frustrating situation. Tucker gave Danny a look of consternation then looked at Sam who was looking serenely out the window.

"Val?" Sam asked as she turned in her seat and looked at Danny, blinking at him slowly with her beautiful lilac eyes, Danny repressed a sigh. "You're still seeing Valerie?"

"Yeah," Danny answered a wellspring of guilt bursting in his heart. "We're still together."

Sam smiled stiffly. "If the two of you are still together after so long. It must be love."

"Yeah," Danny laughed a little, feeling even more uncomfortable. "It is."

"Does she know?" Sam asked as she held Danny's gaze with her hypnoticeyes. He wanted to sink into them, to live in the smoky purple depths. He knew in his heart he'd be happy there. He wouldn't care about anything else or worry again.

"Know about what?" Danny asked. Sam smiled at him teasingly.

"No, he hasn't." Tucker answered in a chastising tone. Danny closed his eyes, unable to formulate a reply which would minimize the fact that he couldn't trust Valerie with his ultimate secret.

"Not good," Sam teased. "Not good at all Danny. You should never lie to the people you love." Her eyes took on a sad far away look as she turned her head to stare at the window.

"She gave up ghost hunting for me," Danny defended as he watched Sam use looking at the scenery as an excuse to hide her face from both Tucker and himself. "I don't think it matters if she knows or not."

"You still shouldn't keep things from her," Sam told him softly. "She needs to know who you are! Hiding yourself from her is an unforgivable deception. How can you claim to love her if you are always hiding? It's not right. It's not fair." Danny winced.

Sam clenched her fists together as her voice rose, hard, stiff and angry. "She needs to know what you are so she can make the decision if she wants to stay with you. If she can handle your character. It would be wrong for her to find out later, so wrong."

Danny wasn't sure how to reply, and by the time he formulated some sort of excuse or defense, Tucker had pulled up in front of Valerie's apartment.

"You good?" Tucker asked as he turned and leveled a questioning gaze on Danny.

Danny paused, he wished that he'd thought about what he was doing instead of letting his pride lead him. He didn't like the thought of leaving Tucker and Sam to spend time without him, to shut him out of the close circle they'd always had. Then again, Sam didn't seem to want much to do with him anyway.

"Do-do you want to come in and see Val?" Danny asked Sam hopefully as he leaned forward, not wanting to part from Sam.

"Je ne veux pas voir que la chienne sale," Sam answered quickly then flashed Danny with a mischievous grin.

"What?" Danny asked as he blinked at Sam in bewilderment. She looked at him questioningly then laughed. The sound of her laughter was like a knife from the past, cutting and shredding Danny's heart. He'd missed that sound.

"I'm sorry. I haven't spoken English in so long," Sam answered with false sweetness, then sighed. "Maybe some other time. I'm really tired."

Danny hesitated obviously about to change his mind about not going to Tucker's house. "You should just go," Tucker told him curtly. "I'm just going to put this kid to bed and do some work. It's not like you'll be missing anything." Sam stuck out her tongue at Tucker.

Danny nodded then returned his attention to Sam "I've missed you, Sammy," Danny said softly as he put his hand on the door handle and exited the car.

Sam closed her eyes. "I missed you too," she forced herself to reply cheerfully when he came to her window. "We'll talk more later ok? When I feel more normal."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Danny asked as he gave her a searching look. Sam shivered and wondered for a moment, as his amazing blue eyes bore through her, if he saw past her façade, that no she wasn't all right, maybe she would never be. She smiled brightly and falsely as she put her hand over his as he rested it on the ledge of the door.

"I'm fine," she assured him then moved toward him and kissed his cheek. She looked at him curiously as a blush tinged his face, and she smiled genuinely for the first time in a long time. "We'll talk later." Danny nodded then stepped back, as he watched Tucker drive away with Sam.

* * *

"So, what happened to you," Tucker asked, sounding just like the Tucker Sam always remembered. He looked up at his rear view mirror at Danny who was standing on the sidewalk, watching them driving away, a look of disappointment and confusion on his face. Tucker sighed sadly.

"Life," Sam answered tiredly as she tilted her head back and closed her eyes. "Life happened to me."

"Ok," Tucker said, then sighed in exasperation. "That was not the answer I was looking for." Sam chuckled then sighed deeply. She knew this was coming, though if she had to chose someone to confront her past with, it would be Tucker.

"You know, one minute," Tucker continued as he drove. "We were all getting ready to go off to college then the next minute I turned around and you were gone."

"Sorry about that," Sam apologized meekly. "I had to run or I'd never have found the courage to leave."

"Why did you need courage to leave?" Tucker questioned, his voice reflecting his hurt. "What was so awful that you couldn't talk to us? Danny thinks it was him. He thinks it's something he did. Was it?"

"No," Sam answered as she took a deep breath. "And yes. My mom was putting a lot of pressure on me to conform to her standards and Dad was threatening to disown me. Then there was Danny. One night I decided it was now or never. I was going to stay or go and it all depended on Danny."

"And he failed the test?" Tucker asked wistfully.

Sam snorted. "Well obviously?"

"He never told me what happened," Tucker said slowly as he pulled into his driveway, turned off the car and looked at Sam. "So, what happened?"

"I told him I loved him," Sam answered simply as she turned to look at Tucker who was now frowning grimly. "And it all came down just like I feared it would. He freaked out. We yelled at each other. He told me he was kind of seeing Valerie. I told him it didn't matter. He wanted to know why I hadn't told him sooner. I said I didn't know, and then he took off."

"Then you took off," Tucker added as he gripped the steering wheel tight and took a deep breath as he pulled up to his house. "But your reasons were so stupid! Why didn't you just come talk to me?"

"Because my reasoning was stupid," Sam agreed in shame. "I thought there was no point in staying. I'm sorry I didn't tell you good bye or give you an explanation. I just couldn't. I hope you can forgive me Tuck."

"There's nothing to forgive, Sam," Tucker replied tiredly. "I was never angry at you. I would have understood. I've always understood."

Sam looked down at her fingers for a moment before wiping tears away from her eyes. "You've always been my best friend, Tuck," she choked.

"You've always been the sister I always wanted, but didn't have," Tucker told her as he wiped away his own tears. He opened his car door then took Sam's luggage and lead her inside. He showed her to the living room, then asked if she wanted anything to eat and she told him she just wanted to talk, so he sat down beside her on the couch.

"So tell me about yourself." Tucker began as he held her hand. "What have you been up to? Where did you go?"

Sam smiled wistfully as Tucker twined his fingers with hers. "I've been all over," she told him. "I settled in Budapest for a short time, but ended up in France. I began working in a little shop in Paris restoring antiques."

"You always liked old, weird things," Tucker laughed. Sam smiled and nodded her head.

"I met Jean Paul there. We started dating, he got me a job as an assistant to an assistant who cleaned precious works of art at the Louvre."

"Jean Paul?" Tucker asked, his eyes going wide with curiosity. "Boyfriend?"

"My husband," Sam answered as she looked down at her lap. "We were married a couple years ago."

"You're married?" Tucker asked in disbelief. Sam almost laughed at the way Tucker's mouth dropped open in shock.

Sam shook her head slowly and answered, "I was up until three months ago. Jean Paul was killed in an automobile accident and that ended my marriage."

"Sam!" Tucker gasped in shock as he squeezed her hand. "I'm so sorry."

"He was with his lover," Sam continued, not looking up at the expression of horror on Tucker's face. She didn't think she would be able to stand the sympathy in his eyes. "He had many of them, of course I didn't know it until the funeral. Twenty women, four men all grieving former lovers of my precious husband." She sighed and snorted bitterly then finally looked at her friend.

"Ouch," Tucker winced. "So not cool."

"Yeah," Sam sighed tiredly as she rubbed her temples. "So, any loss I felt, any love I had for Jean Paul, was buried with him. Don't feel bad for me."

Tucker watched Sam for a minute, her skin was ashen, her facial expression tight and closed. She wasn't upset about returning to Amity. She wasn't hurting at seeing Danny. She wasn't tired from the trip. Sam was tired and hurt from life. He wanted to tell her to run away again, and he wondered if she would even be able to handle the drama about to engulf her. He wished he could protect her, and he hoped Danny would.

"So you didn't have any kids?" Tucker asked, it was the least of the questions he wanted to ask.

Sam shook her head, then changed the subject. "What about you? Some lucky girl hasn't snapped you up?"

Tucker laughed nervously. "It's funny you should say that." He cleared his throat and Sam gave him a questioning look. "My girlfriend, Nichelle and I broke up almost a year ago. She moved out and on."

"I'm sorry," Sam said sadly.

"I'm not," Tucker laughed. "She was a piece of work! Besides..." He paused again and looked at Sam. "She wasn't the one for me. You know, sometimes a man has to try on several gloves to find the right fit."

"You're funny," Sam chuckled as she smiled tiredly. "How many girlfriends have you had?"

"Just a few," Tucker told her as he smiled back he looked uncertain for a moment then shrugged.

Sam yawned and closed her eyes. "I'm so glad to be back. So glad to be out of Paris and all those horrible memories…it's just…"

"What?" Tucker asked tenderly. "Now you have to face the memories you left behind?"

"Yeah," Sam answered shakily. "Why was I brought here anyway? What do I have to do with Vlad's will?"

Tucker looked at Sam thoughtfully for some time trying to consider how much to tell her. He thought that maybe he should let Danny do it, but then Sam looked so tired and so fragile, and Danny could be so clueless.

"You're not going to like it," Tucker warned.

Sam blinked at him slowly. "I already figured as much. What is it?"

Tucker held his breath for a moment as he kept his eyes trained on Sam's face. "Vlad has bequeathed all his earthly possessions to Danny, but in order to claim them he has to get married."

"Isn't he already going to marry Val?" Sam asked blankly as she ignored the screaming of her broken heart. She told her self she shouldn't care who Danny married.

"Well he asked her," Tucker answered, not picking up on Sam's internal struggle. "And she said yes, but that's not the catch."

Sam grimaced. "What's the catch."

"Danny has to marry you," Tucker answered, not pausing to let the shock settle. "Within the next two months. And you have to stay married or he has to pay back all the money."

Sam said nothing. She just blinked at Tucker for a minute or two then threw back her head and began laughing, almost hysterically. Tucker watched her worriedly, then handed her a tissue to wipe her eyes with.

"You're joking right?" Sam asked as she sniffled. "It's a joke."

"No," Tucker answered then sighed. "And there is more."

"Joy," Sam said as she leaned forward and waited.

"Danny dropped out of college a few years ago. He's been working two jobs so he could fund Jazz's education. Jack and Maddie have fallen on hard times, really hard times. They are about to lose everything, and that would include the ghost portal and Danny's access to the Ghost Zone and his way to combat the ghosts escaping."

"No!" Sam gasped in denial. "How did that happen? They were doing so well when I left!"

Tucker shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know the particulars except that Danny pretty much keeps food on the table. He needs the money pretty bad."

"So I'm supposed to marry him so the Fenton's keep their lives as they've always known them and Jazz can finish college?" Sam asked angrily as she stood and paced for a moment. "As much as I'm sorry for them. I'm not that inclined to help. I've struggled myself. I know life changes. Sometimes you have to just accept things as they are. You know roll with the punches."

"If Danny doesn't marry you," Tucker continued, speaking slowly so the enormity of what he was saying would have its full impact. "All of Vlad's estate goes to the former Guys in White, they've been wanting to catch Danny forever, but don't have the funding to go after him. With Vlad's money well, Danny's as good as dead."

"I hate Vlad," Sam growled bitterly. She shook her head and rubbed her hand through her hair. "I was married up until a few months ago. What if Jean Paul was still alive? What would happen then?"

Tucker smiled at Sam bitterly. "If you were married, then all of Vlad's estate would go to Danny. No questions."

"Mon Dieu!" Sam cried as she blinked at Tucker in wonder. "Le mal gâté stupide Vlad je voudrais le tuer dès le début. Le mai son après la vie être comme un furoncle sur l'âne d'une mofette"

"Uh," Tucker said as he looked at Sam ranted in a quick burst of French. "What?"

Sam stopped and blushed. "Sorry Tuck. I said I'd like to kill Vlad all over again and I hope his after life is as a boil on the ass of a skunk."

"Oh nice curse Sam," Tucker laughed.

"Thanks," Sam said dryly. "I try."

Tucker fidgeted for a minute. "I don't know if Danny's going to ask you. But what if he does. Are you going to marry him?"

Sam snorted and shook her head as she laughed. "I don't know. I need to think about it, Tucker. The really, really funny thing is that I ran into Vlad in a little café about a year ago. He knew I was married."

"No, way!" Tucker half yelled. "So he knew!"

"Yeah," Sam told him. "I wonder how much of this Vlad intended. He probably put the clause in his will just to rub it in Danny's face that I was gone. He seemed to think that Danny's been in love with me for years."

Tucker laughed nervously and adjusted his hat. "Funny," he said, then frowned.

"Stupid Vlad," Sam growled. Tucker smiled and wondered what Vlad would think if he knew the conditions of his will had backfired on him.


	3. Chapter 3

Fun Fact: There were several scenes of this story I mentally wrote while sitting at the laundrymat. I was bored.

Chapter Three

Danny did his best to ignore the little niggling feeling of guilt in his stomach as he floated into Tucker's house, remaining invisible as he looked for Sam. Like so many times in their youth, he found himself laying awake and staring at the ceiling thinking of Sam. He knew from experience that he'd never get any rest until he saw her.

Danny found Sam in Tucker's spare room, sound asleep. He looked at the clock, it was a little past four in the morning, he'd tossed and turned for a long time before being forced out of bed to put a ghost back into the Ghost Zone it was then that he finally relented. He just had to see her.

Sam was restless in her sleep, tossing and turning in what had to be a nightmare. She murmured softly in French, her mouth turned down in a frown. He wished he could understand what she was saying, she sounded so anguished. He wanted to sooth her, bend down and kiss her unpainted lips. He was disgusted by his thoughts. He didn't need to kiss her, he just needed to make sure she was really there, and wasn't a dream.

He sighed as he sat on the edge of her bed. In what seemed another lifetime, he'd visit her after ghost fights, sometimes to discuss them with her, sometimes to calm down, and usually just because he wanted to be in her presence.

It had taken a long time for Danny to admit to himself that in his heart, Sam was more to him than his best friend. It had been hard for him to deal with those emotions, and by that time he could she was gone.

He remembered the extreme sense of panic rushing through them as they stood together in her room while shouted angrily that she loved him. She hated Valerie. She wanted to know why he was so stupid and clueless that he had to chase after a girl who wanted to kill him, when a girl who loved him for all that he was, was right there beside him. The revelation that she loved him, floored Danny. He didn't know what to do so he left to deal with on his own the one thing which had terrified him for years, loving Sam.

It had been easier to be her best friend, to ignore the attraction. To acknowledge his feelings for her was to risk losing her, and he needed her in his life. He had long ago decided that having her friendship was better than having no part of her at all. He had devoted himself to Valerie in order to bury those emotions, he spent them all on the huntress so that he was too emotionally exhausted to give anymore to Sam.

Danny had locked himself away from everyone for a few days after their blow up, trying to process what Sam had told him. His terror turned to acceptance and his acceptance turned to joy. He allowed the feelings he'd repress for so long to manifest themselves in his heart. He loved her and what was even better, what was so amazing was that she returned his feelings. Sam loved him too. His Sam. She loved him!

Having accepted his feelings and realized the truth of hers, he went to her to tell her, to apologize for being so clueless and stupid, hoping she'd forgive him for any hurt he had caused.

Danny had flown into her room with a rush, hoping to just hold her. More than anything at that moment he needed to hold her, tell her he was sorry, and that he was stupid and loved her too. But, she wasn't home. He called Tucker who had no clue where Sam was, he hadn't heard from her for several days.

The bottom dropped out of Danny's heart when a quick search of her room found most of her clothes and pictures, missing. Sam was missing, only she wasn't missing. Her parents knew where she went, but they refused to tell him. They simply told him that Sam had come to her senses and left to start a new life away from all her former bad influences.

Danny was utterly crushed. He went to Tucker, threatening his best friend's life if he didn't tell him where Sam had gone. Tucker himself had been shocked at Sam's departure and obviously hurt as well. He hadn't known Sam was gone.

Tucker and Danny had worked for a few weeks, trying to piece together clues, making sure she hadn't been taken by ghosts, but eventually they were forced to give up. Sam was gone and she wasn't coming back. Danny had his chance and he stupidly lost it.

After that, everything was down hill. He'd turned to Valerie for comfort, only she had no clue, she simply thought he was mourning the defection of one of his best friends. She told him that maybe Sam leaving was for the best, that she interfered too much in their friendship, and eventual relationship. Valerie became the only bright spot in his life, and he clung to her like a rock in a raging river as his world fell down around his ears.

Danny's family's crash had happened so fast and yet so slow. A few lab accidents here, a couple explosions there, and a few law suits several mortgages later found his parents on the brink of bankruptcy.

"Sam," Danny whispered softly as he floated close to her. He reached out and smoothed her hair from her face wishing desperately to take back his mistake, so that she would be his again.

"Jean Paul," she sighed as she pressed her face into his hand. Danny swallowed back the tears clogging his throat and wondered who Jean Paul was. Her boyfriend? She had to have a boyfriend, she was just, too wonderful and special not to be attached to someone.

"Sam," Danny repeated as the palm of his hand brushed against the tears spilling from Sam's closed eyes. He hesitated a moment then bent forward and kissed her forehead. He knew it was wrong and irrational, but he was hoping for an invitation to kiss her lips.

Sam surfaced from sleep slowly. She swore that Jean Paul was sitting beside her. She swore she heard him call her name. He often woke her when he came home late, threading his fingers through her hair and singing, "You Are My Sunshine."

Her eyes widened a little as she looked into Danny's glowing green eyes. She'd almost forgotten what he looked like in phantom form. She blinked at him a moment, wanting him to go away so she could deal with the fact that it wasn't her husband waking her up, and so she could cry. How cruel was fate? She used to wake up in Jean Paul's arms, wanting Danny, and now here she was waking up to Danny, wanting her husband. The irony wasn't lost on her.

"I'm sorry," Danny said quietly as he threaded his fingers through her hair. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"You didn't," Sam said as she sat up and moved a little away from Danny. "I just thought…" She closed her eyes and shook her head. "What are you doing here?" she asked, changing the direction of her conversation.

"I don't need to sleep much anymore," Danny told her as he drifted away so she'd feel more at ease. "So, I was out and thought I'd stop in, you know for old times sake."

Sam smiled a little as she checked to make sure she was decently covered. She gestured to the robe on the dresser and asked Danny to hand it to her. He tried not to watch as she covered her silky spaghetti strapped black nightgown with big fluffy, pink terry cloth robe.

"Pink?" Danny asked as looked at the color in bewilderment.

Sam chuckled as she cuddled the robe. "It used to be white," she told him. "But Jean Paul had an accident in the laundry." She smiled a little it was a very happy memory. "He turned it pink and it became this huge joke, so I kept it to tease him."

"Jean Paul?" Danny asked softly, not sure he wanted to hear.

Sam paused and looked at Danny for a minute. "My husband," she answered, watching out of the corner of her eye for Danny's reaction.

Danny's breath caught in his throat. He didn't know if he wanted to scream in anguish or rejoice. She was married, all his problems were solved. He could marry Valerie, and Sam would slip right back out of his life. He knew then that he wanted to cry. He couldn't lose her again, and yet he never had her to begin with.

"Where is he?" Danny asked, managing to keep control of his emotions. "Why isn't he here with you?" Danny suddenly felt angry at Sam, like she had lead him on. If her husband had come with her, he would never have began thinking about her again. He told himself that he had no right to think of her in anyway but as his best friend Sam.

Sam took a deep breath as she searched Danny's face. "He can't travel," she said almost jokingly.

"Is he sick?" Danny asked trying desperately to read the expression on Sam's face.

Sam shook her head. "No," she said then took a deep breath. She looked into Danny's bewildered green eyes and wanted to laugh. He was the same old clueless Danny as always.

"Is he a criminal?" Danny questioned in a hushed tone.

"No," Sam choked as she put her hand over her mouth and shook her head. Danny couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying.

"Then what?" Danny growled. "Why didn't he come too? It would have been nice to meet the man who stole you away from us."

Sam sighed deeply and nodded her head. "I wish you could have met him," she said softly. "He was a lot like you in some ways." Danny shook his head in confusion and Sam tentatively reached out and smoothed his white hair from his eyes. "The thing is, Jean Paul wasn't what he seemed. I guess he was like you in that respect to, just not in a good way."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked in frustration.

Sam laid back down against the pillows on her bed. "Maybe you should just go home," she told him. "Go see your girlfriend. I don't feel like talking about this right now."

"Sam," Danny growled.

"What?" Sam asked angrily. "What do you want? I don't want to tell you my whole life story. I don't want to tell you my husband is dead. I don't want to tell you that the only reason I agreed to come here was to escape memories of him and…" She stopped and wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled. "I just don't want to talk about it with you."

Danny said nothing as he looked at Sam. He was unsure of what to say. He wanted to comfort her, hold her, kiss her…no no no he didn't want to kiss her, he wanted to be her friend again, win back her friendship.

"I'm so sorry, Sammy," Danny finally whispered as he edged a little closer to her. "It must have been hard…."

Sam shrugged her shoulders. "It's no big deal really."

"No big deal?" Danny asked in shock. "Of course it's a big deal." He paused. "Did you love him?"

Sam rolled her eyes. "Of course I loved him Danny! Do you think I'd marry someone I don't love? Do you really think so little of me?"

"I wasn't saying that you did!" Danny exclaimed fearfully. "I was just curious."

"No," Sam hissed angrily. "What you really wanted to know is if I got over you. Well I did. Does that surprise you? I got over you, Danny, and found everything I ever wanted in Jean Paul and he treated me like the most important woman in the world, and we were happy and…" She trailed off then pulled her knees up in to her chest so she could rest her head on them, and cried.

"Sammy," Danny said as he put his hand on her shoulder. She pulled away from him. "I was just…I just…" He paused. "I just wanted to know you were happy."

"I was," Sam said miserably. "I was happy."

"I'm so sorry," Danny continued. "So sorry," He attempted to hold her again and she pulled away.

"Leave," she told him as she pointed out the window. "I don't want you here. I don't want you to comfort me. I'll meet you at that stupid attorney tomorrow and that's it. Just leave me alone!"

"Sam," Danny started then moved away from her. "I'm sorry."

"Go be sorry somewhere else, Danny," she told him bitterly. "Just go."

Danny opened his mouth to say something more, but changed his mind. He stood, looked back at Sam for a moment then flew out the window with tears in his eyes. He'd lost her and she'd made it clear that it was forever.

* * *

"What are we doing?" Sam asked as Tucker pulled up in front of Fenton Works and turned off the car. She thought they were going straight to the attorney's office.

"Uh," Tucker said as he looked at Sam. "Picking up Danny."

"Why?" Sam asked in almost alarm as she looked at the Fenton's front door.

"Because he doesn't have a car," Tucker answered.

Sam gave Tucker a strange look then leaned over and asked. "Why doesn't he just, fly?"

Tucker chuckled as he opened the car door. "That's why he doesn't have a car, besides not being able to afford one," Tucker answered. "Now come in and say hi, everyone's expecting you."

"Expecting me?" Sam squeaked as Tucker came around and opened her door for her. She looked up at him like a deer in headlights.

"You don't expect everyone to ignore the fact that the prodigal daughter has returned do you?" Tucker asked slyly. "They've killed the fatted calf and everything, just for you."

"Oh that's sick!" Sam told Tucker as she put her hand to her face.

Tucker laughed, "Ok, I'll rephrase that. They killed the tofu turkey, just for you."

Sam giggled and climbed out of the car, taking Tucker's hand as they walked up the steps to Danny's house.

"Sam!" Maddie cried as she opened the door. "My little Sam!" She pulled Sam into a long tight embrace. Sam closed her eyes and took several deep breaths of Maddie, who smelled like sugar cookies and lavender soap, just like she remembered.

"I've missed you so much!" Maddie exclaimed as she pulled away and looked at Sam. "And you're too skinny! You haven't been eating!"

"Maddie," Sam laughed as she searched Maddie's face. She looked so much older, and more tired than she remembered, and a little thinner herself, her ample curves weren't as curvy as they used to be. "I'm fine."

"Is that Sam I see?" Jack Fenton boomed. Sam wasn't sure what to expect, but a fifty pound thinner Jack Fenton, with more gray in his hair than black and a three sizes too big orange jumpsuit, was not it.

"Hi Jack," Sam laughed as she was engulfed in the arms of the largest man she'd ever met, just not size wise, but spirit wise too.

"You haven't grown at all girlie!" he said and Sam laughed as he spun her. "Maddie's right. Too skinny."

"The same can be said about you!" Sam teased, poking Jack's stomach.

Jack grinned as he pulled at his suit. "You like the new Jack?" he asked.

"I sure do," Sam told him.

"The doctor made him give up fudge," Maddie told Sam then rolled her eyes.

"And it made all the difference in the world," Jack finished as he patted his stomach.

Jazz appeared from upstairs and pushed her father aside with an annoyed glare then speared Sam with a searching turquoise gaze. "I am so angry at you," she told Sam softly, her eyes filling slightly with tears. "So angry." She moved forward so fast that Sam winced away, expecting a slap instead of a hug.

"I'm sorry," Sam whispered as she closed her arms around Danny's sister.

"You should be," Jazz sighed narrowing her gaze as she pulled away and examined Sam, who was now feeling uncomfortable. She wished she had more time to prepare herself for the interrogative look Jazz pinned on her. The girl was always insightful and her skill seemed to have grown and Sam was scared she could see right through her to the pain within.

"We're going to be late," Tucker interrupted, hesitantly breaking up the reunion. "Danny's waiting in the car." Sam blinked at Tucker in bewilderment, wondering when Danny passed them, then realized he probably had made it to the car via ghostly means.

"You'll come back?" Maddie asked hopefully as she clung to Sam's arm. "You're going to be here awhile?" Sam frowned.

"I'll be back," she promised, feeling good for the first time in months.

"We'll have dinner," Maddie stated firmly as she smoothed Sam's hair, unable to take her hands off of the young woman, as though Sam were her long lost child.

"Sounds wonderful," Sam replied then hugged Maddie once more before letting Tucker lead her from the house.

"You're not going to see your family?" Tucker asked as he opened the car door.

"I just did," Sam told him as he sat in the drivers seat. She turned and looked at Danny, who looked back questioningly.

"Did what?" he asked. Sam smiled sadly and shook her head.

* * *

"Have you two discussed wedding plans?" Mr. Porter asked as he looked back and forth between Danny and Sam, who sat in their respective chairs looking at him as though he'd just lost his mind.

The attorney sighed heavily. "Or are you going to forfeit your inheritance?"

Danny looked at Sam a moment then said. "We haven't had time to discuss it yet."

Sam sighed as she made eye contact with Danny. She was rubbing her left hand ring finger, she never wanted another wedding band around it again. "How much time do we have?" she asked.

"Two months," Mr. Porter answered. "You have two months to plan, but I do need to know as soon as possible if you're agreeing to the terms. There are conditions I must attend to."

"I agree," Sam said stiffly, not looking at Danny. "Give us two weeks and we'll be married." Danny looked at Sam in shock, his mouth opening and closing. He had no clue what to say. He hadn't even talked to Valerie, he was still engaged to her and now, now he was engaged to Sam.

"I just have a few questions," Sam continued as she kept her eyes focused firmly on Mr. Porter. She could feel Danny beside her, almost hear the questions he wanted to ask her.

"Of course," Mr. Porter told her as he smiled pleasantly.

"Any interest on the money from Vlad's estate," Sam started then licked her lips which suddenly felt very dry. "Do we have to pay it back if the marriage fails? Or do we just pay back the sum we inherited?"

Mr. Porter looked at her in shock. "Interest would be considered money earned, therefore not applicable for repayment."

Sam nodded her head. "So then," she continued. "Any money earned from investments would be exempt as well."

"Well yes," the attorney answered. "But anything from the sale of artifacts from the estate would be considered inherited income."

"I see," Sam said as she looked at Danny and found her staring at him with wide, worried eyes.

"Anything else?" Mr. Porter asked as he tapped his fingers together.

"Don't tell me the will doesn't allow expenses for our wedding," Sam began faux in disbelief.

Mr. Porter smiled. "Yes. The terms say, if you ask then the estate will provide fifty thousand for wedding expenses." He took off his glasses and looked at Sam. "You're a smart cookie."

"Thank you," Sam said blankly then turned to Danny. "Got all that?"

"Uh, yeah," Danny answered bemusedly. "I think so." He stood with Sam, feeling as though he was caught up in a movie or a strange prank. He vaguely wondered when the camera crew was going to pop out of the closet.

"Expect an invitation shortly," Sam told the attorney then grabbed Danny's arm and dragged him from the office.

"You're going to marry me?" Danny asked in bewilderment as they walked down the hall.

Sam looked at him in exasperation. "Well not permanently," she replied. "I have a plan."

Danny smiled. "That's the Sam I knew and loved. You always had a plan."

"Of course, being around Mr. Clueless, I had to stay on my toes to keep you and Tuck alive." Sam told him, then linked her arm around his as they walked. Danny smiled happily, but the smile faded as she continued to talk.

"I hope Valerie will understand," Sam began, completely missing the look on Danny's face. "I'm sure she'll understand that there could never be anything romantic between us. We'll never so much as touch each other, and as soon as our investments pay off, and your parents are out of debt, we'll be free from each other."

"I don't know if she will," Danny said his mind sticking to romantic impossibilities between he and Sam. He looked a her for a moment as she bounded outside and down the stairs to Tucker's waiting car and he wanted to die. He'd go to the Ghost Zone and offer to sell his soul to Clockwork for a chance to go back and not run away like a stupid little boy the night he lost Sam. He wished desperately to take it all back.

"Did you guys get everything squared away?" Tucker asked as he took in Danny and Sam's contrasting demeanor. Sam seemed calm and resolute, Danny on the other hand, looked like he was going to fall apart.

"Yup," Sam said as she turned and smiled at Danny as he fastened is seatbelt. "We're getting married in two weeks."

"What?" Tucker asked in shock. "You're kidding."

"Want to be my maid of honor?" Sam giggled. Tucker looked at her like she'd lost her mind. He looked at Danny through the mirror.

"No," Danny said in a quiet and very serious tone. "Tucker's going to be my best man." His eyes met Tucker's through the mirror and Tucker's eyes widened before returning to the road.

"This is crazy guys," he said as he drove, he knew by his whole demeanor that Danny was taking marrying Sam very seriously, and to Sam, it was a joke, a way to rescue Danny. "Insane."

"Oh come on Tuck," Sam laughed. "It's not going to be forever. I have an exit strategy."

Tucker looked at Danny in the rearview mirror again and his frown deepened. Danny was staring out the window with an odd dreamy expression on his face, one Tucker recognized all too well. Tucker was torn. He didn't know who to be worried about the most.


	4. Chapter 4

Fun Fact: I have been infected with the French. It didn't start with this story. I am somewhat of a closet Francophile. It was all completely unintentional.

Chapter Four

Valerie was waiting at the door of her apartment as a very tired looking Danny shuffled up the walkway.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" she asked in irritation. She'd been incredibly patient, not pressing him to tell her what was going on. She knew how much stress he'd been under trying to keep his family afloat, but she hated not knowing what was happening.

Danny took a deep breath and sat on the couch. "Yeah," he said. "But you have to promise to stay calm."

"It's that bad?" Valerie asked tenderly as she sat beside him and traced the side of his face with her fingertips.

"Yeah," Danny answered, not opening his eyes as he rested his head on the back of the couch as he moved from her touch.

"I take it Vlad's final wish was to cause trouble," Valerie stated. She'd broke off regular contact with Mr. Masters, there were other things she knew about Vlad. Valerie knew Danny had secrets, she had her own as well.

Danny laughed a little then opened his eyes and looked into Valerie's determined green depths. He smiled at her a little as he fiddled with one of her earrings. She stilled his hand then leaned forward and kissed him softly. He put his hand on her waist as if he were going to pull her closer, instead he moved her gently away from him.

"I don't know how to put everything," he finally said in a hopeless tone. "I don't know how to tell you without making you angry instantly or getting your hopes up. I don't know how to even mention what's going on without hurting you."

"You know you can tell me anything, everything. Right?" Valerie told him quietly.  
Danny sighed and rubbed his hand through is hair. "Yesterday, Tucker and I went to the airport and picked up Sam."

Valerie's eyebrows shot up in surprise and her breath caught. "Sam? Sam Manson?" Her eyes narrowed. "Why? What is she doing back in Amity Park?"

"It has to do with Vlad's will," Danny told her. "The attorney sent her a plane ticket. She flew in yesterday afternoon."

"On what?" Valerie asked dryly. "A broom?" She chuckled to herself then rolled her eyes at the "don't start," expression on Danny's face.

"We went to the attorney again today," Danny continued then pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache bloomed behind his eyes.

"Okay," Valerie said as she watched him intently. Danny said nothing more, and Valerie knew he wouldn't unless she pressed. She knew that he wasn't trying to avoid telling her what was wrong, he was just trying to escape her anger. He never wanted to tell her anything. She knew it was Sam, everything with Danny always boiled down to the girl.

"Where was she?" Valerie pressed trying not to sound upset and scared. "She's been gone, what four years? Where did she go?"

"France," Danny answered trying not to sound to excited. "She was living in France, but I don't know too much more."

Valerie nodded her head. "So, what's the deal with Vlad's will?"

"Yeah," Danny said weakly. "This is where it gets sticky."

"Well spill it, Baby," Valerie said tenderly. "And we'll figure out how to fix it." She smiled at Danny softly and he shook his head. He felt like such a jerk.

"There are conditions to the will. If I meet these conditions, then I inherit everything, all of Vlad's money, his estate, his businesses, everything."

"Well that solves a lot of problems for you family," Valerie said almost happily. "What are the conditions?"

"I have to marry Sam," Danny said quickly as he watched Valerie's face. She seemed calm at first. She blinked at Danny then stood.

"For how long?" She asked as she began pacing. "Is there an escape clause? Is there a time limit? What are the conditions?"

"Forever," Danny answered and Valerie closed her eyes. "Or I have to payback everything with interest."

"The answer is no right? What happens to Vlad's estate if you say no?"

Danny grimaced, he couldn't explain why he couldn't say no, not without getting into a deeper conversation. He groaned and Valerie sat beside him again.

"Vlad's really a jerk," Valerie growled.

"Yeah," Danny said tiredly as he continued to watch Valerie. "The sad thing is, if Sam was still married this wouldn't be an issue."

"Sam was married?" Valerie asked in shock. "She's divorced?"

"Widowed," Danny answered.

Valerie put her hand to her mouth. "How long ago?"

"Three months," Danny answered. "I don't know the details. Sam won't really talk to me…"

"Oh," Valerie said. "She's bitter?"

Danny shook his head. "I don't know."

"Well," Valerie began as she fiddled with her fingers. "Are you going to?"

"Yes," Danny answered as he continued to watch her face. Despite the fact that he kept secrets from her, their relationship had always been straightforward, based on respect for each other, but he knew better than to think a huge explosion wasn't building. This was just the calm before the storm.

"Just like that?" Valerie asked.

"Yes," Danny replied a strange bubble of something akin to joy growing in his chest. "I'm going to marry Sam." He managed to hold back a smile by telling himself that Sam didn't really want to marry him, and that she already had a way out of it. Even so, he should be focusing on Valerie, she was the woman he was supposed to be in love with, the one he'd actually asked to marry him of his own free will.

"How can you marry her?" Valerie asked as she stood again, no longer able to control her anger. "Just for the money? You're going to marry someone you don't love, who abandoned you with no explanation, who you haven't seen in years, for money?"

"She has an plan to bypass the loopholes," Danny told Valerie as he watched the pressure build. She paced around the room a few times, taking deep breaths.

"She has plans?" Valerie asked her voice edging onto hysteria. "Plans to marry my fiancé! My fiancé, Danny!" She took a deep breath. "I should have known! I should have known she'd be back to mess things up! To mess with your heart! I should have known." Valerie began pacing back and forth.

"She's not messing with my heart," Danny told Valerie gently.

"I think she's put you through enough!" Valerie continued to rant. "She doesn't need to do this! I wouldn't doubt that she asked Vlad to do this! She probably planned the whole thing!"

"Right," Danny said in an almost amused tone. "Sam's been planning all of this for four years, and Vlad's been cooperating with her. He even died so he could make her plan work."

Valerie stopped and looked at Danny. "You don't even know her Danny. You don't know how Sam is! She's conniving! She's manipulative! She's hypocritical! Danny you have no clue!"

"Val," Danny said knowing nothing he could say would calm her. "I think I know Sam a lot better than you. I've known her all my life. She's my best friend."

"Not anymore!" Valerie cried. "She hasn't been in your life for four years! She's not your friend anymore! She's evil! She's always been evil."

Danny took a deep breath and watched Valerie continue on about the vile person Sam was, it made him sad that Valerie couldn't see how unlike her descriptions Sam really was. He knew better than to try and change Valerie's opinion. It was a losing fight.

Sam was unique, kind, loving, sarcastic, smart and funny. She wasn't manipulative, far from it. Danny smiled slightly and his eyes grew distant. He tried to listen to Valerie as she continued to rant. She had every right to be upset, but his heart as much as he was trying to keep it still, was already settling in on the fact that in two weeks, he would be married to Sam.

His mind was aware of the fact that his marriage to Sam would be in no way real. It was a game, a sham, a lie, but in his heart, which he had to admit after so many years was still holding out hope for her return, it didn't matter that Sam obviously didn't want any part of him, what mattered was that she was going to be Sam Fenton. He closed his eyes tightly and tried to concentrate on what Valerie was saying.

"I can't believe she's doing it!" Valerie yelled. "I can't believe she's walking into our lives and disrupting everything."

"It's not her fault," Danny said defensively. "Sam isn't to blame. Don't be mad at her Val."

Valerie shook her head and sat down next to Danny. "I can't ask you to not do this. I understand why you are, but Danny…"

"Val," Danny said as he took her hand. "I'm sorry." She wasn't crying, but her skin was darkened with emotion. He searched her face and sighed. Did he love Valerie? Had he ever really loved her? Or was she just a substitution for Sam? The answer made his conscience writhe in agony. He didn't want to think that he wasted Valerie's time or played with her heart. He cared about her, would have been content with her, but did he love her? Well…yes, but not like he loved Sam, he'd never love anyone like he loved Sam.

Valerie moved forward and pressed her lips against his. He closed his eyes willing back the tears as he pulled her to him. He was torn and his heart twisted with guilt. It was okay for him to kiss her. She was his girlfriend, fiancée, or was. But his body screamed, "She's not Sam." He wanted to yell for that little voice in his heart to shut up. Valerie had been good to him, they had good times together. She deserved so much better than someone who could only love her with half a heart.

"Val," Danny whispered against her lips as she kissed him. She pulled away and looked into his eyes.

"You still love her don't you?" she asked sadly. Danny nodded his head and Valerie moved away from him, sighing deeply.

"So this is it for us huh?"

Danny reached forward and wiped the tears from Valerie's cheeks. "Yeah."

"I don't think it's fair, Danny," she said as tears began to fall. "We've been through so much together." He wiped more of her tears away then pulled her into a tight hug.

"I do love you Val," he said shakily. "I always will, just…"

"Not like you love her," Valerie finished bitterly. Danny held her tighter and she let him.

"I'm so sorry Val," Danny whispered.

"You will be," Valerie sobbed as she buried her face in his neck. "She's going to break your heart and rip you into a thousand pieces."

Danny took a deep, shaky breath and replied, "I know."

* * *

"Hey Danny!" Jazz said happily as he walked into the kitchen. She looked at the clock and then back at her brother. "I thought you were working tonight." Danny lifted the lid on a pot of boiling spaghetti sauce and shook his head.

"Who's making the garlic bread?" he asked as he pulled up a chair and sat down.

"Garlic bread?" Jazz asked in bewilderment. "Since when do we make garlic bread with spaghetti?"

"Since Sam is coming over," Danny replied trying to sound nonchalant. "We can't just give her plain spaghetti, even if your sauce is amazing."

Jazz gave her brother an odd look. "Why can't we give her plain spaghetti?"

"She's been in France!" Danny exclaimed. "Paris! Food capital of the world." Jazz shook her head and laughed as she began cutting up vegetables.

"Danny," Maddie said as she entered the kitchen carrying a large bag of groceries. She flushed a little as she put down a bag of groceries. "I thought you had to work." She shot a quick glance at Jazz who shrugged her shoulders.

"I called in," Danny said as he looked in the bag.

Maddie laughed nervously as she pulled the groceries from Danny's prying eyes. "I thought it would be nice to have desert tonight." She smiled sweetly.

"Where'd you get the money?" Danny asked as he reached in the bag and pulled out a bottle of wine, a large loaf of French bread, a very expensive brand of raspberry sorbet, and a few other odds and ends.

"From Sam," Jazz said casually as she stirred the spaghetti sauce. "And don't you say a word, Danny. It's none of your business. You're not even supposed to be here."

"Wow," Danny complained. "I feel welcome. Do you want to kick me out on the street while you're at it?"

Maddie laughed as she put her hands on Danny's shoulders, "No Sweetie," she said. "We just weren't expecting you, that's all." She placed a kiss on his head and he smiled slightly. Jazz gave him a worried look and he frowned. He waited for their mother to leave the room before turning on his sister.

"What's going on?" he asked his voice taking on a dangerous tone which told his sister it wasn't wise to ignore him. She smiled slightly, if only to show that she didn't find her brother to be intimidating.

It wasn't so much his persona which was intimidating. Danny was still very lean, and though he was as tall as his father now, it was easy to underestimate his strength. It was his personality which could send the most confident person into hiding. He rarely had to say much, he just exuded a dangerous air. He was dangerous, though only a very small select few understood why.

He had learned over the years, to carry the confidence he had in his ghostly form, to his human counterpart. Most people who knew him would say that he was funny, a little goofy sometimes, but they wouldn't want to mess with him. He was also incredibly thoughtful and even philosophical, but then, you had to know Danny to understand that.

"Sam just seemed really relieved when she found out you weren't going to be at dinner," Jazz answered.

"She's not too comfortable with me," Danny told his sister as he quickly duplicated, stole a carrot she was chopping and merged back together.

"For goodness sake!" Jazz growled in annoyance. "Why do you have to be so careless?"

"Cause I like it," Danny answered with a cheeky grin as he chewed on the carrot.

"Why would Sam be uncomfortable with you?" Jazz questioned. "What did you do to her?"

Danny's eyes widened. "What do you mean, what did I do to her? I didn't do anything to her! I've been nothing but nice to her. She's the one who took off on me! If anyone should be uncomfortable, it should be me."

"Well you know something," Jazz said as she pointed at him accusingly. "So spill the beans."

"I don't know if I should," Danny replied softly. "I mean they're really not my beans to spill and she didn't seem to happy to tell me as it was."

Jazz sighed in exasperation. "At the very least," she hissed as she began to viciously chop more vegetables. "You could tell me what's going on with all the Vlad's will stuff and tell me why she's here."

Danny shook his head. "I'm not sure I should do that Jazz," he said. "I don't want to jinx it."

"Jinx it?" Jazz asked in bewilderment. "Jinx what? I don't believe in jixes!"

"Vlad left everything to me," Danny said in a very soft tone.

Jazz dropped the knife she was holding and turned and looked at him with wide eyes. "You mean you're rich?"

"Not really," Danny answered. "Sorta, but no not really. He left some pretty ummm some terms."

"Oh," Jazz said her shoulders dropping in disappointment. "What are they?"

Danny didn't bother to keep the rather satisfied smile from his face, he knew he wouldn't be able to hide anything from her. Jazz smiled slightly herself.

"I have to marry Sam," Danny blurted out almost too quickly and nearly giving away a little more information than he wanted. "If I don't then the money goes to the former Guys In White."

Jazz looked at Danny for a minute then started laughing. "There's no way Sam's going to marry you Danny. No way."

"In two weeks," Danny said smugly. "We're getting married in two weeks, and despite the fact that she seems to hate me, I'm…I'm hoping she'll change her mind."

"Change her mind?" Jazz asked in shock. "What about Valerie? I thought you were engaged to her! What does she think of all of this?"

Danny shrugged. "She's upset, but says she understands."

"Really?" Jazz asked in surprise as she regarded Danny thoughtfully. "You know. I told you once a long time ago, that you could have Sam or you could have Val, but you can't have them both. You do realize you can't have them both?"

"I know that," Danny answered in annoyance. "I know. I know what I want, Jazz."

Jazz snorted as she shook her head. "You've never known what you wanted Danny. You've always, always wanted what you couldn't have."

"I've always, always wanted Sam," Danny told his sister, his voice filling with determination. "I just didn't know it until it was too late and I lost her. I don't plan on losing her again."

"Oh Danny," Jazz said sadly She put her hand on his shoulder and looked at him worriedly. "I don't think you have much of a choice."

"I plan on at least putting in a good effort," Danny replied seriously.

"What about Val?" Jazz questioned stiffly.

"We've broken up," Danny said paused as the door bell rang.

"That would be Tucker and Sam," Jazz said as she looked at Danny.

Danny looked around frantically. "I need to go clean up!" he said. "Don't tell her I'm here. Please!" He then flew up, disappearing as he phased through the ceiling.

"Oh Danny," Jazz sighed. "What are we going to do with you?"

* * *

Maddie hugged Sam and then Tucker as she showed them into the house. Sam smiled happily, relaxing for the first time since she boarded the air plane that would bring her to Amity Park.

Spending time with Tucker was better than any medication in the world. He made her feel at peace, happy, accepted, loved, and comfortable, but being with the Fentons, the people who she always wished were her family, was like coming home.

"Are you hungry, Sweetie?" Maddie asked as she put her arm around Sam and walked her to the kitchen.

"Yes and no," Sam laughed. "I'm still suffering from jet lag a little bit." She looked at the clock. "It's one in the morning in Paris."

"Paris?" Maddie asked as she gestured for Sam to sit at the table. Tucker smiled as he took his usual spot. He smiled at Jazz who stuck out her tongue at him. Sam laughed then turned he attention back to Maddie.

"That's were I've been," Sam answered. "Living in Paris."

"It must be beautiful," Maddie remarked as she handed Sam a glass of wine. Sam blinked as she looked at the red liquid then smiled wistfully.

"It was," she told Maddie. "But I don't think…I don't think I ever want to go back."

Jazz finished readying the garlic bread and put it in the oven. "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes," she said, then looked at her mother. "Where's Dad?"

"Where do you think he is, Sweetie?" Maddie answered as she laughed.

"The lab," Jazz sighed as she removed her apron and excused herself. Sam watched a sad expression flicker across Maddie's face and she herself wanted to cry. It just seemed wrong to think of Jack and Maddie as anything but ghost hunters, and it was wrong that Maddie's exuberance and natural cheerfulness was shrouded in worry.

Sam smiled as she swirled the wine in around in her glass before taking a careful sip. The Fentons were more family to her than her own had been, and she was determined that even if it hurt, she was going to do everything possible to put Jack and Maddie back on their feet.

"So tell me about you," Maddie said as she smiled at Sam. "What were you doing in France?"

"Well," Sam replied as she took one more sip of her wine. "I was helping with art restoration. I also worked in an antiques shop."

"When are you going back?" Maddie asked.

"There's nothing to go back to," Sam answered. "I sold everything with the intention of moving back to the States."

"So you're staying in Amity Park?" Maddie questioned happily.

"For now," Sam answered. She looked at Tucker who raised his eyebrows. She shook her head to indicate that she'd talk to him more about it later, but not now.

"I saw you're parents a few weeks ago, they looked good. Have you seen them yet," Maddie said as she stood to check on the pasta.

Sam smiled wryly. "I didn't know they still lived in Amity Park. I thought they would have moved to Florida by now."

Maddie frowned. "What do you mean, you didn't know they still lived here?"

"They disowned me," Sam said flippantly trying to act as if their dismissal of her didn't hurt. Maddie frowned and was about to say something when Danny walked into the kitchen.

Sam's open, smiling demeanor closed. Tucker sighed heavily and looked at Danny who seemed happier than he had in a long time. Tucker considered standing up and running, but he'd learned from Sam that running away made more problems than they solved.

Sam's stomach did a tango with her heart as Danny fresh from the shower and smelling incredibly delicious sat down. He kissed his mother lightly on the cheek then smiled at Tucker and Sam.

"Not going to work?" Tucker asked.

"No," Danny answered. "I couldn't miss a family dinner with Sam. It's just like old times."

"I was just thinking that," Maddie said happily. "I remember the last time we had dinner together. Sam and Tucker got into a debate about animal testing and the roast went out the window." She looked at Sam. "How do you suppose that happened."

Sam smiled wickedly and shrugged her shoulders as she looked at Danny who was grinning in remembrance. Tucker rolled his eyes and said something about vegetarians.

"You're still a vegan?" Maddie asked. "Tonight's dinner is vegetarian, I wasn't sure."

"I still don't eat meat," Sam answered. "But I've relaxed things a little bit. When you're broke and trying to stretch your last dollar, you can't be picky about what you eat, though I always tried, but it wasn't always feasible."

"I know how that is," Maddie laughed. Jazz made her way back up the stairs and check on the pasta.

"Dad's going to be upstairs in a minute and dinner's almost ready," She said as she made eye contact with Sam, then looked quickly at Danny who was busy looking at Sam. Jazz looked at Tucker whose expression said, "Don't ask me. I know nothing."

"I would imagine turning down all the wonderful French food would have been hard," Maddie said to Sam.

Sam laughed. "It wasn't really, but Jean Paul once tricked me into trying foie gras, I was mad at him for months."

"What's foie gras?" Danny asked.

"Who's Jean Paul?" Maddie questioned.

"Foie gras is an animal rights activist's worst nightmare," Tucker told Danny who looked at Sam in surprise.

"My husband," Sam said to Maddie, which caused every noise in the kitchen to cease, except for the boiling of the pasta water and a clang, clang woosh from the lab.

"Your husband?" Maddie asked, she tried valiantly not to look at Danny, but finally gave in to the urge to see her son's reaction. She knew how crushed he had been when Sam disappeared. He never recovered completely. He'd told her several times over the last year or so that he felt unsatisfied, unhappy, like he was missing something, but he couldn't figure out what it was. Maddie didn't have the heart to point out that what he was missing, was Sam.

She watched him move on to an extremely serious relationship with Valerie, and while Maddie was sure they loved each other she was unsure that they were the best match for each other. Of course, she considered herself to be a little bit biased. She'd always felt that Danny and Sam would end up together even after Sam left, Maddie never could fight the niggling feeling that Danny was making a mistake with Valerie, like being so close to her put him in some sort of danger.

Danny was looking at the table cloth, slowly tracing the paisley pattern in away he only did when he was feeling upset or emotional. Maddie's heart squeezed in sadness for her son, who made it obvious by the look on his face, he was still in love with Sam.

"When did you get married?" Maddie asked, suddenly feeling like a reporter asking question after question.

"Two years ago," Sam answered sadly. Her eyes took on a distant look as she continued, "We were married in a small civil ceremony after hours at the Louvre, went to Tuscany for our honeymoon..."

"Where is he?" Jazz asked as she made eye contact with Tucker again who had been trying to shake his head vigorously in the hopes of stopping the question.

Sam took a deep breath. "Tomorrow it will be three months to the day." She paused then took a big swallow of wine, her voice raised in pitch as she continued to speak. "He was on his way to pick up a gift for our anniversary, or so he told me, when his breaks failed and…" She didn't make an effort to stop the tears freely slipping down her cheeks.

"Oh Sam," Maddie said as she put her hand to her mouth as she watched Sam's face fill with profound anguish.

"And he died," Sam continued, her voice shaking as she closed her eyes, and shut her mouth as she muffled back a sob. She'd not had the opportunity to talk about Jean Paul to anyone. Until she told Tucker, she never had to inform anyone of her husband's death, now she'd done it three times, and it hurt more than she wanted it to. She scrubbed away the tears on her face and tried to keep her emotions together.

"My poor baby," Maddie said gently as she reached forward and took Sam's hand. That was all it took. Suddenly, she was doing what she tried so hard not to do, what she desperately didn't want to do, she broke down, sobbing as she laid her head on the table.  
She felt like her heart was laid open on the table, bleeding for everyone to see, but she couldn't stop.

"Sam," Danny whispered softly. He ached to comfort her and hoping desperately that she would turn to him. He put his hand on her back and she all but jerked away.

"Excuse me," Sam sobbed as she stood, not making eye contact with anyone. "I'm sorry. I'll be right back." She ran from the room and into the bathroom. No one said a word, they just looked at each other, then finally at Tucker.

"Apparently," Tucker said as he cleared his throat, which was clogged with tears of his own. "She found out at the funeral that her husband was cheating on her."

"What?" Danny asked in disgust, unable to imagine anyone treating his Sam so badly.

"With many, many eerrr people," Tucker finished. "Don't say anything guys. Sam's really proud, but she's grieving more than she wants to admit to herself."

"We need to be gentle with her," Jazz said as she stood and drained the pasta. "Mom will you finish here? I'm going to check on Sam."

"You do that," Maddie said as she took Jazz's place at the counter.

Tucker looked at Danny for a minute. "She told you about her husband?"

"Yeah, but not everything," Danny said as he continued to trace the patterns on the table cloth. "She made it sound like they were happy."

Tucker snorted. "They were," Danny looked up and frowned at Tucker. "That's part of what's been so hard on Sam. She thought everything was good, nearly perfect, until Jean Paul died and she found out what a prolific cheater he was."

"I knew I hated Jean Paul for a reason," Danny growled, he wanted to find the man and punch him.

"Danny," Maddie chastised. "You can't hate someone you don't even know."

"Oh yes I can," Danny told his mother angrily. "He hurt my Sam, that's a perfectly valid reason to hate anybody." Tucker bit his tongue to keep from informing Danny how much he had hurt Sam himself, but felt maybe that was an accusation best left for another time.

* * *

Several minutes later, both Sam and Jazz came back into the kitchen with red rimmed eyes. Maddie, with the help of Danny and Tucker had set the table and dinner was ready. Jack was sitting in his usual spot looking unusually serious, armed with the story of Sam's past and carrying instructions to tread lightly and not ask any probing questions.

Danny watched Sam enter the kitchen and sit down. He noticed for the first time, the beige wrap dress she was wearing, it clung to her lovingly emphasizing the slight curves she had softened into over the years. He noted the heart shaped locket around her neck and the gold bracelets on her arms. Sitting beside her at the table he could smell her expensive perfume. Sam had changed in the most beautiful of ways, she seemed polished, refined and exotic, yet still so familiarly Sam.

All if her changes, her very presencee was driving him crazy. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her, it was as though all his pent up need and emotion from when she ran away, was bubbling uncontrollably to the surface. At the moment, he'd take anything, a brush of the fingers as he passed her the salt or a look of amusement as they recalled their old adventures, or at least the adventures they could talk about in front of his parents. A mere smile from her was a more powerful than anything he'd felt with Valerie these past few years. He felt so lost, so low, so hurt and like all the happiness he'd been searching for the last few years was just beyond his grasp.

After dinner found Sam wanting to take a walk around the neighborhood to see how things had changed. Danny and Tucker went with her. Danny had to control the feelings of intense jealousy welling up in his heart as Sam put her hand in Tucker's as they walked. They looked like a couple. Rationally, Danny knew they weren't but they looked like a couple. He wanted to push Tucker, yell at him, ask him what he was doing, but he didn't.

"How much do your parents know?" Sam asked as she turned a questioning gaze to Danny.

"About what?" he asked in bewilderment. Tucker snickered and Sam poked him in the stomach.

"About Vlad, the will, the terms," Sam answered as she laughed. "How much do they know?"

"They know Vlad's dead," Tucker answered in light of Danny's momentary inability to think. "That's really about it."

Sam nodded her head and looked at Danny. "What about Valerie? How much does she know?"

"Everything," Danny answered then sighed. "Except about my ghost powers."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're still keeping it from her Danny. It's sick."

"Well it doesn't really matter now does it?" Danny asked coolly. He'd rather put the subject of Valerie far behind them.

Sam gave him a weird look. "Of course it matters! You're in a relationship with her, you're going to marry her eventually aren't you? It matters."

"We broke up," Danny told her. "You and I are getting married…"

"Temporarily!" Sam pointed out then frowned in exasperation. "It's temporary, Danny. Don't go getting any weird mushy ideas, Ghost boy."

"Ghost boy!" Danny half shrieked, purposefully avoiding the talk of their impending marriage as temporary. "I haven't been called ghost boy in years." Sam's eyes sparkled as she laughed. Tucker stepped aside as he watched Danny and Sam almost suddenly reconnect. He hoped they could resume their friendship. He knew Danny was more than willing, he just worried about Sam's openness.

He slowed down a slightly so Danny and Sam, who were now laughing with each other just like old times, could walk side by side. Eventually he stopped moving all together as he watched them walking away, too absorbed in their flirting that they hadn't noticed he was gone.

"Sneaky, sneaky," Jazz teased as Tucker returned back to the house. He just smiled at her and said nothing further as he followed her into the kitchen to help clean up.

* * *

"I've missed you, Sam" Danny said as he sat beside her on a bench at the park. He didn't dare look at her. "Why did you leave?"

Sam shrugged as she bent down and plucked a yellow dandy lion from the grass. "I had no reason to stay. I decided to move on with my life."

"You should have stayed," Danny told her. "Things would have been much better if you stayed. Things would have been easier."

Easier for who, Sam wondered as she smiled at Danny wryly. She looked into his clear, perfect blue eyes. They were almost unreal in their brightness, she'd never seen anything like them in her life and doubted she would again.

"I couldn't have stopped what happened to your parent's Danny," she said kindly. "There was no purpose to staying here."

"But having you here, would have made it easier to deal with," Danny told her, his voice raising in anger before drifting back down to sadness. "I've been so alone without you."

"Alone?" she asked in disbelief. "You've had Tucker, Jazz, your parents, Val. That hardly constitutes being alone." It was more than she had.

"Val and my parents still don't know I am half ghost. Jazz wants to turn me into one big psychology project and Tucker just isn't you." Danny took Sam's hand and turned it palm up. He stretched out her fingers and looked down as if he could read the future in her palm.

"I did what was best for me," Sam told him, resisting the urge to pull her hand away from his warm grasp, but weakly allowing herself the indulgence.

"What was he like?" Danny asked as he continued to stare into her palm. He was trying not to sound as broken and jealous as he felt. He wanted to ask her if she loved Jean Paul more than she loved him, but he decided it was a stupid question. She had to love her husband more, he was her husband. Danny was nothing more than an adolescent crush she had grown beyond.

Sam closed her eyes. "He was very sweet and extremely serious," she answered steadily. "He was spontaneous, thoughtful and smart."

"And you were happy," Danny stated as his insides twisted. "You said you were happy."

"Yes," Sam agreed as she fingered the locket around her neck. "I was."

"What did he look like?" Danny asked, suddenly feeling curious about the man his Sam had married. "How did you meet? How did you know you loved him?" How did you know you were over me, he wanted to ask, but didn't.

Sam smiled dreamily as she looked off into the distance. "He looked like himself. He looked French." She took off the locket and cracked it open, handing it to Danny so he could see a picture of Sam and a man with warm brown eyes and shaggy brown hair smiling at each other lovingly.

The sweet looks on their face, the obvious emotion between them made Danny feel so weak and sick that the locket nearly slipped from his grasp. When Sam leaned against him to look at the picture his fingers twitched and the chain slipped away from him. Sam caught the necklace quickly.

"The picture," she said as she looked down at the open locket, her eyes shining as she smiled. "Was taken at the Arc de Triumph. He had just asked me to marry him and I said yes. He gave me this locket as an engagement present."

"Not a ring?" Danny asked, suddenly hating the beautiful locket and hating the man in the picture. The man made Sam smile in away he'd never seen her smile, made her happy in a way he never could. It was like a bolt of lighting hitting Danny when he realized that not only did Jean Paul marry Sam, he kissed her, he held her in his arms, woke up with her beside him in the mornings. He'd made love to her and was loved by her and suddenly Danny wanted to throw up. He wanted to cry, he wanted to die. The thought of them together was completely unbearable.

"I didn't want an engagement ring," Sam said softly as she put the necklace back on. "Jean Paul knew that. He gave me a locket instead." She smiled, completely unaware of the searing anguish Danny was fighting against.

"Why didn't he ask you to marry him on the top of the Eiffel Tower?" Danny asked, clearing his throat to keep his voice normal and steady.

Sam laughed and shook her head. "That's too cliché, Danny. Jean Paul always said, the Eiffel Tower is où les touristes stupides se fiancent." She chuckled again at Danny's bewilderment. "Where stupid tourists get engaged," she translated.

"Oh," Danny replied as he looked at the locket again.

"My parents didn't take the news very well. They said I was marrying a poor nobody Frenchman. They said if I was going to disown my country, they were going to disown me, and they did and that was that. I haven't spoken to them since."

"Jean Paul was poor?" Danny asked as he blinked in shock. Of course it was like Sam to marry for love not money or status, he wouldn't expect less of her.

"Only compared to my parents," Sam told him. "L'argent n'est pas tout, Danny."

Danny only blinked at Sam and didn't ask for a translation. She'd often slipped into French phrases at dinner. She had blushed charmingly and smiled telling everyone that it really had been a long time since she spoke much English, and that she found it easier to say so many things in French.

"But that chapter in my life is closed," Sam said firmly as she snapped the locket shut. "I'll help you get your parents back on their feet again, get you some college money, and then I'll be off to start a new adventure."

Danny didn't know what else to say. He didn't want to give away his plan, she wouldn't go through with the marriage if she knew, he was sure of that. Sam was stubborn. But, he intended on keeping her forever, making her remember she loved him, or at least fall in love with him again. He never wanted her out of his life, he didn't want to lose her again.

"So two weeks," he said and cleared his throat. "You know we're required to have a full ceremony, right? Do you think you can pull it off in two weeks?"

Sam shrugged. "It doesn't have to be fancy. I already called the bakery. Tucker's been nice enough to volunteer his car. I'll have it pulled together quickly. All you have to do is tell your parents."

"Yeah," Danny sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. "They think I'm still with Valerie…."

"Just tell them the truth, Danny," Sam said tiredly. "They'll understand. You don't how lucky you are to have the family you have. I wish mine was as understanding and accepting."

"You are a part of my family, Sam," Danny told her. He wanted to hug her but reisted. "You'll always be a part of us. We love you…Can't you tell?"

"Yeah," Sam said sadly as she moved away from Danny. "I can tell. Vous serez toujours une partie de moi aussi." She started walking back toward his house, not giving him a chance to ask her to interpret.

"Tell them," were her last words to him as she left his house with Tucker. Danny nodded in agreement then watched her go, with a horrible ache in his heart.

TRANSLATIONS:

Money isn't everything, Danny

You'll always be a part of me too


	5. Chapter 5

Fun fact: This isn't the first time I put a DP character in France. In The Master's Way, Jazz and Vlad vacationed in the South of France.

Chapter Five

Sam was sitting on the front steps of Tucker's house, making a list of things she needed to get done with an unfamiliar car pulled up. She froze, unsure of who would be coming to see Tucker.

A tall blonde woman exited the car and Sam watched her warily approach with a briefcase.

"Are you Samantha Manson?" she asked as she stopped a few feet away and flashed a megawatt smile.

"Yes," Sam answered.

"My name is Marsha Watts-Wyatt," she said as she extended her hand toward Sam who blinked at the woman's hand then looked at her skeptically. The woman's smile never faltered as she withdrew her hand.

"I was hired," she continued professionally. "By Mr. Porter to see to all your wedding planning needs."

"I don't really need any help," Sam told the woman.

"No matter," Marsha said. "I'm here to help anyway. She fished a big manila envelope out of her bag then handed it to Sam.

"50,000 cash," she said softly as she looked around warily. "It's part of the terms."

"Oh," Sam said as she put the envelope in her lap and covered it with her hands. "Thank you."

"Before you accept it," Marsha said softly as though she felt she were being spied on. "You must know the conditions."

Sam took a deep breath. "What?"

Marsha pulled out a clipboard with something which looked like a loan agreement clipped onto it. "Read it over carefully," Marsha said. "It is a form saying that you accepted the money and that you understand the terms."

"We have to pay it all back with interest if the wedding doesn't take place?" Sam asked as she looked at the paper. "Is that all?"

"You must keep track of your expenses," Marsha said. "You may not pay off any former debts with this money. Do you understand?"

"Yeah," Sam said tiredly.

Marsha pointed to several lines on the document. "All future expenses are covered. If you quit your job, which you'll probably want to anyway, considering the ungodly amount of money you'll be inheriting, and the fact that you have to live in Vlad's home in Wisconsin…it's all covered, up to 50,000."

"Live in Vlad's house?" Sam asked. "You mean that god awful monstrosity he called a mansion?"

"Yes," Marsha said happily. "It's yours as soon as you marry, well your fiancé's too."

Sam bit her lip. "Who do I go to to um…issue orders to make our living arraignments more comfortable?"

"That would be me," Marsha said cheerfully.

"Have you been there yet?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Marsha answered brightly. "I have."

Sam smiled wickedly. "You know the green and gold decorations? The paint the flags?"

"Yes," Marsha answered. "I understand that Mr. Master's was quite the Packer's fan."

"I want the flags and banners changed," Sam said forcefully. "I hate green and gold, very bad memories."

Marsha pulled out a notepad and sat poised to take orders. "Would you like them removed all together or the colors changed?"

Sam looked at Marsha thoughtfully. "Black flags, silver trimmings."

"Really?" Marsha said in surprise her eyebrows furrowing in thought.

Sam laughed a little. "The colors are very special to Danny and me. I'm sure you understand." Take that Vlad you jerk, Sam thought.

Marsha shook her head. "My understanding or approval of the situation is irrelevant. The changes you request will be made before you take residence. Would you like the interior changed as well?

"No," Sam said. "I think it's best to leave that all untouched until Danny and I have a chance to look things over." She signed the papers without a backward glance, then looked at Marsha expectantly.

"My phone number is in the envelope," Marsha told Sam. "If you need anything…"

"I need a car," Sam said briskly. "I don't have a license. I need a driver."

Marsha nodded her head. "I'll see to it that someone arrives at eight every morning. Would that be sufficient?"

"Make it noon," Sam said then smiled. Marsha nodded her head then left. Sam looked at the envelope in her lap then opened it and peered inside.

"Oh geeze," she said then got up to ask Tucker to call Danny.

* * *

Danny's boss was shocked when Danny told him he needed to leave and that he probably wouldn't see him the next day either. Danny didn't give the yard foreman time to object before he was out the door.

He flew quickly to Tucker's house and found Sam sitting on the couch counting money.

"Hi," she greeted cheerfully. Danny smiled and resisted the urge to sigh with contentment.

"That's a lot of money," Danny said as he carefully sat beside her. Sam's eyes sparkled as she smiled at him.

"All of it's here," she told him as she finished counting.

"What are we going to do with it?" Danny asked. Sam laughed and smacked him on the top of the head with a stack of hundred dollar bills.

"Let's go shopping," Sam laughed. "We'll go to the mall and um.." She looked at Danny a moment. "Buy you some new clothes."

"I don't need any new clothes," Danny said indignantly.

"Okay," Sam said. "You like looking ratty huh?" Danny frowned and sighed as he considered his worn jeans, and almost threadbare shirt, it was pretty much all he had, except for a couple shirts so it didn't look like he wore the same clothes all the time.

"And how are we supposed to get to the mall?

"You fly us there," Sam answered as she as gathered the money together then disappeared into her bedroom for a moment before coming back with her purse. Danny smiled at her. Finally he had an excuse to put his arms around her. He transformed to ghost mode then grinned expectantly. She smiled back and held out her hand to him. What he really wanted to do was kiss her, pull her close and kiss the rose colored lipstick from her mouth. He wondered what happened to the purple lip tint she used to wear, he missed it.

"Let's go," Danny said as he ignored her hand and put his hands on her waist. She looked up at him, her eyes alight with amusement and he lost his breath.

"Wrong way," she told him, almost losing her own breath. She closed her eyes as she turned her back to Danny. Sam hoped desperately that he couldn't feel her heart racing, and she hated herself for loving the feel of his arms around her.

"Danny," Sam whispered nervously as she felt herself lift from the ground.

"Don't be scared, Sam," whispered in her ear, making her shiver. "We've done this a million times. I'm not going to drop you." Sam sighed shakily and opened her eyes. She watched the world fly by and her stomach flipped.

She wasn't scared of flying. She was scared of being so close to Danny. It was a moment such as this, with the sun shining of his face, that Sam realized she loved him. She never wanted those feelings to return. She hated that even though she could refuse to acknowledge old crushes, old attractions weren't so easily ignored.

They landed in an alley at the mall where Danny transformed out of ghost mode. He grinned at Sam who shook her head and laughed slightly. "You're still such a goofball," she laughed.

"I try," Danny told her as he took her hand and pulled her inside the mall. "You should see how this place has changed. Nothing is the same anymore."

"I never expected things to stay the same without me here," Sam told him stiffly. Danny looked at her for a moment obviously contemplating telling her that some things never changed, but he held his tongue.

They both paused as they walked past a bridal shop. They stood and stared at the wedding dress in the window. Danny tried to imagine Sam in the fluffy lace frilled confection, but it just didn't set well with his image of her. He looked at Sam whose nose was wrinkled in pure disgust.

"I know I have to wear a wedding dress," she growled unhappily. "But forget the ribbons, sequins, tulle, lace, satin and silk."

Danny smiled as he tried to imagine Sam in silk, unfortunately the imagery in this head wasn't of a white wedding dress, but a black silky night gown followed by a fluffy pink robe. He groaned and Sam gave him a questioning look.

"The thought is as painful for me as it is for you huh?" Sam laughed.

"You have no idea," Danny told her, afraid to make eye contact with her, for fear she'd be able to read his mind. Sam always had an uncanny ability to know just what he was thinking.

"You know," Sam said thoughtfully as she pulled Danny into the bridal shop. The will never stipulated who had to wear the wedding dress.

"I'm not wearing a wedding dress!" Danny half shrieked. The women in the shop all looked at him and giggled.

"Come on Danny," Sam teased. "Imagine something like this." She pulled a very short slinky white dress from the rack, Danny's mouth went dry as he imagined Sam wearing the tight short dress. He shook his head and she laughed.

"Yeah we probably don't want to showcase your hairy legs anyway," she said absently as she looked around thoughtfully.

"Sam," Danny said uncomfortably. "Maybe you should have Jazz do this with you. I thought the groom wasn't supposed to see the dress before the wedding."

Sam rolled her eyes. "It's not like it's real Danny," she said as she looked through a few racks. "It doesn't matter if you see the wedding gown or not."

"I still think it's bad luck," Danny told her, his heart aching as he watched Sam look through the racks.

"Fine," Sam said as she took Danny's hand and lead him out of the bridal shop and down the mall to a men's wear store. "No red and white tee shirts," she ordered.

"Please honey," Danny begging teasingly.

"Don't get cheeky with me," she growled. Danny smiled and just let himself imagine that Sam had never left, they were a couple and everything was all right. It couldn't hurt to pretend, could it? Only it did hurt, it hurt unlike anything he'd ever felt before and he didn't know how to change things.

* * *

Tucker was sitting on the couch working on his laptop when Sam and Danny burst into the house laughing. He looked at them in surprise then warily as they looked at each other and then sat on either side of him.

"So, Tuck," Sam said as she took the computer from his lap. "Danny says you've grown extremely serious."

"I wouldn't say that," Tucker replied as he smiled and took the laptop back from Sam and closed down the program he was working on. "I just have responsibilities."

"I have responsibilities," Danny joked. "You have a great bachelor lifestyle."

"Which I think I'm probably cramping," Sam said thoughtfully. She held up her hand a moment as Tucker started to speak. "But it's okay I want to cramp your style and be a thorn in your side. I haven't picked on you in too long."

"Okay," Tucker said as he finished turning off his laptop and put it on the coffee table. "What are you two up to? I can tell by the mischief in both your faces, that something weird is going on."

"Nothing weird," Sam said as she made eye contact with Danny who smiled. "We've just been regressing and to make it all complete you have to join us."

"Regressing?" Tucker asked skeptically. "How?"

"Come with us to the Nasty Burger," Danny said excitedly.

"The Nasty Burger is full of crazy high school kids," Tucker complained.

Sam shook her head and looked at Danny. "You're right. I never thought it was possible, but you're right. Tucker has completely and totally lost his sense of fun."

"I have not!" Tucker denied.

"I know," Danny replied as he ignored Tucker. "I try to tell him to lighten up all the time, but he doesn't listen to me."

Tucker looked at Danny for a moment and blinked. "Excuse me?" he asked. "What was that? Who needs to lighten up? What?"

Danny sighed and looked at Tucker hopefully. "Come on Tuck, please."

"You know you can't resist those baby blues," Sam teased.

"Fine, let me go change," Tucker said reluctantly. Danny and Sam high fived and Tucker shook his head.

Danny smiled happily as he relaxed on the couch. Sam stretched out next to him and he grabbed her and put her in a head lock, just like he used to on occasion, though not too often, because it offended her "Gothic sensibilities" to be touched.

Sam laughed and snuck her hands around and under Danny's shirt, laughing as he wriggled away from her as he giggled. She'd forgotten how wonderful the sound of Danny's laughter was, and was extremely pleased that she remembered all his ticklish spots.

Danny let Sam tickle him until he couldn't stand it any longer then he grabbed her and flipped her onto the floor where he pinned her, straddling her as he held her wrists together with one hand.

Her eyes widened at the look of devilment on Danny's face. "Don't do it," she warned. Danny smiled wider as he flexed the fingers of his free hand.

"Please Danny," she begged breathlessly. "This is so unfair."

"I haven't tickled you in over four years," Danny told her evilly. "I owe you big time." He brought his hand down and began tickling her arm pits as she writhed in laughter. Danny realized as she wriggled beneath him that the tickling was probably far more torturous for him than it was for her as his body began responding in the most embarrassing of ways. He could do nothing now but let her go. He moved away, wanting to bend down and kiss her instead, but knowing his actions would not be at all welcome.

Sam moved away from him as he released her hands and sat up. Her hair was all askew and her clothes all rumpled. His heart skipped several beats as she moved forward and put her arms around him, hugging him like she used to and sighing happily as she put her head on his shoulder.

"I forgot what a good tickler you are," she sighed as she closed her eyes. Danny put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him.

"I forgot too," he said roughly. Sam smiled and nodded her head. She felt at peace and finally comfortable with Danny again. He was still Danny and she was glad, his friendship was what she needed. She didn't imagine that she loved him as anything more but her best friend anymore, but still that attraction was there. She wanted it to go away.

It didn't help Sam when she realized that Danny was attracted to her too. He watched her with far too much intensity for her comfort. She tried to distance herself from him. It was hard though. Just being around him, laughing, joking, reminiscing made her feel so good. It was nice to put her pain behind her, even for a little while, but she warned herself to be careful.

"Sam," Danny asked softly as he closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and tried to absorb the scent of her.

"Yeah?" Sam replied almost sleepily

"I wish you'd never left," He stated as he held her closer. Sam trembled against him and Danny began steeling together the nerve to kiss the top of her head.

"Okay guys," Tucker said as he walked into the living room. He stopped, looked at Danny and Sam cuddled up against each other, Danny with a contented smile, though Sam's expression was harder to read; happy, worried, pained.

The two friends pulled away from each other at the sound of Tucker's voice and Tucker wished he'd waited to say something, he would have left them sitting on the floor, Sam's head under Danny's chin, Danny's arms around her and hoped for something positive to develop.

"I'm starving," Sam said cheerfully. "And I have to admit, I've been dreaming about a soy melt for a long time."

"Gross," Tucker said as he shuddered. "I don't know how you can stomach that stuff."

"I don't know how you can stomach meat," Sam replied. "Knowing it was once a happy, cute, cuddly little animal."

"I don't consider cattle to be cute and cuddly," Tucker told her indignantly as Sam stood and straightened her clothing. Danny watched her longingly as she combed her fingers through her hair then looked at Tucker sternly.

"What makes you think a Nasty Burger comes from cows?" She asked as she bent down and straightened Danny's hair. His eyes met hers and he smiled she winked back as she turned her attention back to Tucker. "I have it on good authority that Nasty Burgers are made from dogs."

"Lies!" Tucker said as he put his hands on his ears. "I will not stand here and listen to your lies!"

"You know," Danny began as he made his way to the door. "I've always wondered why there were so few stray dogs running around Amity Park."

Tucker shot Danny and evil look. "Traitor!" he growled. Sam cracked up laughing.

"And I always wondered why they called it Nasty Burger," Danny continued wanting to hear more of Sam's giggles.

"I'm not eating a soy melt," Tucker growled. "I'd much rather eat man's best friend than a gross soy melt." Danny and Sam looked at each other and smiled.

All through dinner, Danny and Sam barked at Tucker until he threatened to dump his shake on their heads. They stopped and apologized, each barking one more time for good measure then laughing uncontrollably as Tucker gave them a dirty look.

* * *

Sam was exhausted when she finally made it to bed at two in the morning. She wasn't doing herself any favors in recovering from her jetlag, but she wouldn't have traded her evening with Danny and Tucker for the world. They'd laughed for hours then came back to Tucker's house to watch a movie, each bringing up good memories and teasing each other as they threw popcorn in each other's hair.

It felt like old times. Danny and Tucker treated her no differently then they had before. Of course, Danny seemed to use every excuse he could in the book to touch her, which she found amusing. She was able to really laugh, smile and be happy for the first time since the official came to the door to tell her Jean Paul was dead.

Sam brushed her hair, changed into her nightgown then sat on the end of the bed and opened her locket to gaze at the picture. She sighed heavily as she laid the necklace on the night table beside the bed. As much as she said she buried her love for her husband, she couldn't put it aside completely, and she missed Jean Paul she wished he could be here to meet Danny and Tucker. Would he have liked them? Would they have accepted him? She would have liked to find out.

She laid down and fought her tears as she wrapped her arms around her pillow and wished she'd kept one thing of Jean Paul's as she was hit with a huge wave of missing him. Just one thing that smelled like him was all she needed. She closed her eyes and fell to sleep wishing for her husband.

Sam dreamed she was sitting at a table at a small café with Jean Paul. He was smiling at her as she looked at the menu. It was a warm spring day, Sam remembered it well.

_"What are you looking at?" Sam asked self-consciously._

"The most beautiful creature in all the world," Jean Paul answered his sherry brown eyes filled with love and amusement.

Sam looked on the outside of her menu then quirked an eyebrow at Jean Paul. "I'd hardly consider a tortured lobster a beautiful creature, but to each their own."

"I love you, Sam," Jean Paul told her very seriously. She opened her mouth in shock then looked back at her menu, biting her lip as her heart raced.

"They have no vegetarian dishes," Sam complained weakly, not knowing what else to say.

"Darling," Jean Paul said determinedly as he took the menu from Sam and placed it on the table. Sam looked at him warily.

"What do you want me to say?" she asked sadly.

"Tell me you love me too," he answered tenderly as he stroked her wrist with his thumb.

Tears glittered on Sam's eyelashes. "I don't know if I can," Sam said shakily as she pulled away and folded her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry Jean Paul."

Jean Paul moved so he could take Sam's hand again. He tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. "Do you not share my feelings, or are you afraid to tell me you do?"

"I don't know if I do," Sam answered honestly and Jean Paul sighed. "And I don't understand how you can just say it, just like that."

"Because," Jean Paul began as he pulled her up and walked with her from the café, Sam followed with no resistance. "I am so much in love with you that I can no longer hide it, so I'm sharing it with you."

"What about being afraid of rejection? Of getting hurt? Of me laughing or running away?" Sam asked sadly. She didn't want to run away.

"While I'm certainly scared of losing you, I'm more afraid of what would happen if I never expressed my feelings to you. We would go on dating, I'm sure, but then what? We'd just always skirt around our feelings, ignoring them. You'd run away from me, just like you did Danny. I cannot do that. I cannot lose you."

He stopped and turned her toward him. "I love you," he repeated, then moved forward and kissed her. Sam wanted to run away, her heart still belonged to Danny, despite being gone for over a year, despite the fact that she'd been seeing Jean Paul for eight months.

Jean Paul had kissed her on several occasions, sometime they were small good night kisses, other times they were tender, sweet embraces, but this one made her knees go weak, she'd never been kissed in all her life with passion, desire, or love.

"I understand if you do not love me in return," Jean Paul told her as he moved away and looked into her eyes. "But let me love you, please."

"I'll try," Sam told him as he kissed her again.

Sam woke up with a jolt and looked around her darkened bedroom. She took several deep breaths then rubbed her tear stained face with her hands. She wished she'd stop having dreams about Jean Paul.

After putting on her robe, she stumbled to the bathroom for a drink of water. She noticed the kitchen light was on so she followed it and found Tucker sitting at the kitchen table as he worked on his laptop.

"Hey Sam," he said then looked over his shoulder at the clock. "It's three in the morning, what are you doing up?"

"Bad dream," Sam answered as she sat down across from Tucker.

"Are you hungry?" he asked. Sam shook her head and he looked back down at his work.

"We haven't talked about you," Sam began wanting to skirt the issue of her dream. "What have you been doing for the past few years?"

Tucker looked up at Sam and said in an extremely serious tone, "I've been busy living my life as a chick magnet." Sam cracked up laughing and Tucker put his laptop aside.

"It's true," he told her. "I was engaged to a girl named Sara for awhile, but we broke that off. I wasn't ready to settle down."

"Engaged?" Sam asked then laughed as Tucker nodded. "For some reason, I can't picture that."

"Neither could I," Tucker sighed as he tapped the table thoughtfully.

"How long ago did this happen?" Sam asked.

"Almost two years ago," Tucker answered. "Danny and Jazz didn't like her very much anyway, so it was for the better."

"Devoted member of Team Phantom," Sam teased.

"Somebody had to be," Tucker told her flatly as he watched her for a reaction.

"Ohh burn," Sam said almost sarcastically. "Sorry I couldn't stay and make my life revolve around Danny and his whims. I wanted a life of my own."

Tucker smiled a little. "I have a wonderful life of my own. I got through college and have a wonderful job, a date whenever I want it, a house of my own, and I have my best friend in my life to boot. I think I'm pretty lucky Sam."

Sam sighed. "You are, and you're mad at me right?"

"Not really," Tucker told her as he shrugged. "I've just resented having to lose one of my best friends. I always felt I was closer to you than I was Danny. It was always you and I picking up after the trouble that followed Danny. You left without a good bye, without a look back. All I got in return were Christmas cards. You don't even celebrate Christmas, Sam."

"I'm sorry Tuck," Sam began as she picked at her fingers. "It was just too hard to tell you goodbye. I had to run without looking bac, or I wouldn't have left."

"Well that would have been good," Tucker said as he smiled flatly. "I would have talked you out of it, but then you knew that didn't you?"

"And at least I sent you Christmas cards," Sam continued her voice dropping weakly. "You're the only person I've ever sent anything to."

"With no return address! I would have rather had letters," Tucker told her. "Letters and pictures. I would have like to have known you were getting married. Maybe I would have come to celebrate with you. I would have liked to meet Jean Paul and made sure he was worthy of you."

"I was afraid," Sam defended. "I didn't want to look back on the past."

"I don't think I deserved to be cut out of your life," Tucker said sadly.

"You're right," Sam agreed her eyes welling with tears. "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Yes," Tucker replied as he folded his arms over his chest. "Just don't do it again, ok?"

Sam stood and hugged Tucker. "I don't think I could, even if I wanted to," she told him.

"Good," Tucker said as he returned the hug. Sam sat back down and looked him in the eyes.

"And what about Danny?" Tucker asked point blank.

"Danny can deal with his own problems," Sam answered sharply. "I'm interested in saving Jack and Maddie. I plan on making sure they are financially solvent again. I'm also going to take a chunk of the money we inherit and invest it."

"In what?" Tucker asked.

"Deli Toothpicks maybe," Sam answered wryly and Tucker laughed. "Anything that will turn a profit. My Dad was an ace at the stock market. I learned a thing or two from him, but I've never invested real money."

"So you'll earn money from the stock market?" Tucker asked in astonishment.

"I figure six months to a year and both Danny and I will be free," Sam said happily.

"But what happens to Vlad's estate once you divorce?" Tucker asked as he searched Sam's face, watching for any trace of emotion. "Won't it revert to the guys in white?"

"Former Guys in White," Sam clarified. "I don't know yet, but I guess that's another reason why I'm doing this. I can't leave Danny at their mercy."

Tucker raised his eyebrows at Sam and she shrugged her shoulders. "What do you want me to do Tuck?"

"I don't know," Tucker answered. "I just don't want to see anyone hurt."

"Getting hurt is inevitable," Sam told him. "I just don't want it to be me this time."


	6. Chapter 6

Fun Fact: Sometimes, fun facts are no fun.

Chapter Six

Jazz shook her head in amusement as she watched Sam flipping through a catalogue of wedding dresses looking disgusted.

"I told him to tell them," Sam said angrily to Jazz. "I didn't want to tell them myself."

"Danny's a procrastinator," Jazz replied. "I think he put off telling them because then he'd have to come up with a million reasons why he was engaged to one girl one moment and you the next, and it's not like we can tell Mom and Dad that the marriage won't be real and won't last."

Sam sighed heavily as she flipped through several pages. "You're right."

Sam, who was still extremely tired and not thinking clearly had inadvertently spilled the beans when she told Maddie that she had come over to discuss wedding plans with Jazz.

"Wedding plans?" Maddie asked in confusion then paused. "Don't tell me Jazz is going to try and elope on us. Who is the lucky guy?"

"No Danny and me," Sam answered softly. "We're getting married in thirteen days and…" She paused at the look of shock on Maddie's face then promised herself that she'd kill Danny when she saw him next.

"He didn't tell you did he?" Sam asked then winced.

"No," Maddie said quietly as she searched Sam's face. "What's going on?"

Sam bit her lip. "I'd rather Danny told you. It's really a long story and I don't know how much he wants to tell it and…"

"Say no more," Maddie said tiredly. "Danny has had a tendency toward secrecy since he was fourteen, I keep hoping he'll get over it but…" She shrugged.

"Yeah," Sam laughed nervously then looked over Maddie's shoulder at Jazz who was approaching from upstairs.

"But," Maddie continued her eyes filled with repressed joy. "The last I knew he was engaged to Valerie."

"Mom!" Jazz complained as she rushed forward and grabbed Sam by the arm. "Don't give her the third degree about this all right. The situation is very delicate." Maddie was unable to say anything more as Jazz drug Sam upstairs.

Sam made it clear to Jazz that she was going to kill Danny when she saw him next.

"Give him a break, Sam." Jazz said gently. "He's not used to talking frankly with Mom and Dad. He has no clue how to explain the situation."

"Yeah clueless as always," Sam told Jazz bitterly. "Some things never change."

Jazz nodded her head sadly then continued to watch Sam as she flipped through the magazine. She looked at the younger girl thoughtfully then at the clock. She had at least thirty minutes to try to delve into Sam's psyche before Danny came home and likely, stole Sam from her.

"Have you been sleeping well?" Jazz asked in an offhand tone.

"No," Sam answered curtly. "I don't think I'm used to the time difference yet."

Jazz nodded her head. "Were you sleeping all right before you came back?"

Sam snorted as she looked up at Jazz. She met her worried turquoise eyes and sighed. "To be honest, no."

"Nightmares?" Jazz asked gently.

"Not exactly nightmares," Sam told her. "More like upsetting dreams."

"Wake up crying?"

"Yes."

"You know, most people can't just shove grief aside. It takes a long time to recover."

Sam rubbed one at one of her eyes and tried to hold back the tears which came to her so easily these days. She knew Jazz was watching her closely, so she did her best to pull things together.

"I know that," Sam replied strongly. "I just want to get past it."

"Understandable," Jazz agreed. "I'm just wondering if doing all this wedding stuff with Danny isn't just making things worse. He's obviously…" She paused for a moment. "Obviously not thinking clearly about the situation. I'm worried about him. I'm worried about you."

"I don't need you to worry about me," Sam told her stiffly, trying to contain her emotions. "I'm fine. I'm going to be fine."

"But if you need to talk," Jazz started. "You know I'm here. I've always been here."

"I know," Sam said tiredly. "I know and I appreciate it, but not right now okay?" Jazz nodded her head sadly then watched as Sam went back to perusing the wedding gowns.

* * *

"Danny," Maddie said grabbing her son as he walked through the front door.

"Mom?" Danny asked as she pulled him into the kitchen then searched his face.

"I thought you were engaged to Valerie," Maddie began, frowning as she watched Danny's eyes widen. "But Sam and Jazz are upstairs making wedding plans. Sam says you two are getting married in two weeks. What's going on?"

"Sam's here?" Danny asked his heart flip flopped in his chest as he avoided his mother's searching gaze.

"What's going on?" Maddie demanded to know. Danny looked at his mother like a deer caught in headlights. She looked at him like he was in trouble. He was in trouble, but he decided to tell her as much of the truth as he could.

"You know Vlad was really, really rich right?" Danny asked. Maddie nodded her head and raised her eyebrows, an indication for Danny to continue.

"He left everything to me in his will, under the provision that Sam and I get married. So I talked to Valerie. I broke things off. Sam and I are getting married in two weeks, we have to live in Vlad's mansion." He trailed off and winced at the look in his mother's eyes.

"You're marrying Sam to get money?" Maddie asked in outrage. "Danny! That's not right!"

"No!" Danny denied forcefully. "I'm not just marrying Sam for the money. I'm marrying her because I love her. I've always loved her, Mom. I don't want to let her go ever again. This is my one chance to hold on to her. I'm holding on."

"Oh Danny," Maddie said as she sat down and shook her head. "Why is Sam agreeing to marry you?"

"To save you and Dad," Danny answered, omitting the other half of the truth, that it was to save the famed Danny Phantom from certain death. Maddie sighed heavily.

"I think you are both going to end up hurt," Maddie told him sadly. "As happy as I am to hear that you and Sam are together in any way shape or form. I'm just…worried."

"Don't worry," Danny said then paused. "I know what I'm doing." Maddie put her hand on the side of her face then gestured with her eyes that Jazz and Sam were on their way into the kitchen.

"Sam!" Jack said as he walked up from the lab at the same time, not giving anyone anytime to say anything else. "What are you doing here?"

"Going over wedding plans," Maddie told him. Danny, Jazz and Sam looked at each other warily.

"Oh," Jack said then looked around in confusion. "Where's Valerie?"

"Er Dad," Danny began as a flush creped over his face. "Val and I broke things off. Sam and I are…Umm we're getting married."

"Really?" Jack asked his face expression changed from shocked bewilderment to a grin of joy.

"Yes," Maddie said slowly as she looked at the smile Danny wasn't trying to hid and the look of pain Sam was.

"That's wonderful," Jack boomed as he barreled forward and pulled Sam into a hug. "Welcome to the family, Sam."

"Thanks, Jack," Sam laughed as she found herself enveloped in arms and orange fabric.

"Dad," Jack corrected. "Call me Dad. It's like it was always meant to be." He put Sam away from him and moved her toward Danny.

Both Danny and Sam looked at each other uncomfortably a moment. Jack pushed Danny down in one of the kitchen chairs and then put Sam in his lap. He stepped back and observed the wary couple with a big grin on his face.

"Kiss her!" Jack said happily. Sam's eyes widened, Danny's blush deepened and Jazz put one hand over her face and groaned.

"Jack,' Maddie chastised. "Leave them alone."

Jack held up his hand. "I've waited years for this." He looked at the couple expectantly. Danny and Sam looked at each other uncomfortably for a moment.

"This isn't appropriate," Maddie said sternly.

"Of course it's appropriate!" Jack told Maddie. "It's a celebratory thing."

Danny did his best to control his breathing. It was enough that she was sitting on his lap with her arm around his shoulders. She was wearing jeans and a violet shirt which matched her eyes, and smelled deliciously sexy. He swallowed hard as the blood rushed in his ears.

Sam had to repress the fission of fear racing through her heart. She knew Jack wasn't going to let them escape without a kiss. She decided they could do something brief and chaste, it would be like a fake out make out. Even so, why was her heart jumping at the thought? Why did her cheeks feel like they were on fire? She met Danny's eyes and marveled at how such a cool color, could be filled with such heat. His gaze burned her.

"It's okay," Danny told her very quietly as he slid his hand up her arm. She nodded her head and moved closer to him, closing her eyes as she pressed her lips against his.

Sam wanted to run the moment she felt the electric shock of his warm, minty lips brushing against her own, it just felt too good. She intended to pull away, just as quickly but something magnetic kept her mouth pressed against his. Looking, back she couldn't blame Danny, he was holding her loosely, one hand resting on her knee the other on her shoulder.

"Sam," Danny whispered against her lips, afraid to move for fear she would move away from him. Her hand found it's way to his cheek as he mentally begged her to move closer, so he could really kiss her as he'd been longing to do for what seemed like an eternity.

"Hmm?" she asked as she started pulling away. Danny's response clogged in his throat as he looked into her lavender eyes and sighed shakily. Sam smiled sadly then moved forward and kissed him again, telling herself she was crazy, but intending one more quick peck, just to hold herself over for the next eternity, thinking that she could never allow something like this to happen again.

Danny wasn't going to let this opportunity, or this obvious lapse in her judgment pass him by, he slid his arms around her, pulling her closer, tracing her lower lip with his tongue and nearly begging and pleading for her to open up to him. Sam whimpered wanting both to sink into the embrace he was offering and run away as far as she could. Finally, reason won and she began to push away from him before her lips could part of their own volition.

"I'm sorry," Danny said tenderly as he loosened his arms and let her pull away from his embrace. Sam moved away slightly and looked around the empty kitchen. She closed her eyes and started to move from Danny's lap but he held her there.

"Let me go," she said angrily, still feeling incredibly breathless. Danny shook his head and she sighed in exasperation.

"I'm sorry," Danny told her, a look of determination on his face that told Sam he wasn't going to let her go until the dealt with the kiss.

"It's not your fault," Sam told him. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you all right?" Danny asked earnestly and Sam realized he was sorry, that he didn't intend to hurt her or even to kiss her like he did.

"Je ne peux pas le faire. Le fait de tu embrasser va me tuer," Sam said as she moved forward and hugged him.

Danny frowned then swallowed hard as he held her, wondering if she'd just told him that she hated him and that if he ever kissed her again, she'd kill him. He knew in his heart, that if he never kissed her again, he would rather be dead.

"Sam?" he asked almost petulantly. "Tell me what you said. Please. That's not fair."

Sam took a deep breath and moved from Danny's lap. "I said that it's not your fault. I'm just as much to blame as you are. Don't worry about it," she lied. She watched Danny relax then smiled as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

"At least we know how to clear the kitchen," he joked. Sam laughed and he stood and took her hand. She let him pull her to the living room where the rest of the Fenton's waited. Jack congratulated them again, and they all celebrated. Jack was the only person in that room whose smile wasn't tinged with sadness.

* * *

Tucker was busy reading as he walked to the door and opened it to the insistent pounding. He closed his book as he looked at Valerie who stood on his porch with swollen red eyes.

"Where is she?" Valerie asked bitterly. "I know she's staying with you. Where is she?" She tried to push past Tucker who stopped her by grabbing her shoulders.

"Get your hands off me Foley," she growled. "I want to talk to that witch!"

"She's not here," Tucker told her as he dropped his hands away from Valerie's shoulders. "Go ahead. Search my house. She's not here."

Valerie marched into the living room, looked around a moment then sat down on Tucker's couch, leaned over the arm and sobbed.

"Val," Tucker said softly as he sat down beside her and put his hand on her back.

"I'm supposed to be a good little soldier," Valerie sobbed brokenly. "I am supposed to say. Okay Danny, follow your heart, leave me behind. Good luck."

Tucker didn't know what to say, he couldn't do much without making Danny look bad or revealing things that it was better she was left unaware of. He patted her back and she turned so he could hold her. He sighed deeply.

"I've been there with him through everything," Valerie sniffed. "When his family lost everything, I stayed. I couldn't have done that to him, like it was done to me."

"Did you want to stay?" Tucker asked.

"No," Valerie told Tucker. "I was ready to move on at that point. I was just about to break things off when Danny's family went broke, but then I couldn't do it to him. I knew how it felt to be abandoned."

"That's a silly reason to stay in a relationship," Tucker told her in a chastising tone.

"I know," Valerie said. "But it's not like I didn't love him….I just knew…"

"I knew what?" Tucker asked worriedly.

"That his heart will always belong to her!" Valerie continued angrily. "It's not fair."

"You're right," Tucker agreed. "But really you shouldn't have stayed with him it you felt that way."

"Why?" Valerie asked her eyes wide with curiosity and sorrow.

"Because both of you deserved to be with someone you didn't feel obligated to," Tucker replied.

"Yeah well," Valerie told him as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "When all is said and done, Danny and I were with each other for the wrong reason. We both wanted people who didn't want us and then we were obligated to each other."

Tucker moved way from Valerie. "Val," he said almost tiredly. "We've been through this a million times."

"And what?" Valerie asked her voice filled with hope. "I'm not obligated to him any more."

"I am not a Danny substitute!" Tucker told her angrily as he stood.

"I know that!" she yelled. "I never thought you were! Danny has been a Tucker substitute! How about that? What do you have to say about that?"

"I say it's a lie!" Tucker told her, feeling angry at Valerie for running to him every time she and Danny had problems. The first time was just before Sam left, he had fallen for it too, but then Sam was gone and Valerie was by Danny's side again, acting as though there had never been anything between them.

"You're calling me a liar?" Valerie gasped. Tucker shrugged his shoulders and Valerie stood. He stepped way from her as she stepped toward him.

"We've been through this," Tucker told her again. "Sam's going to walk out of Danny's life and you'll be back together."

"No," Valerie said as she put her hands on his chest. "Not this time Tucker."

"You're right!" He said as he moved Valerie away. "Because we're not going through this again. It's not possible for you and I to have a healthy relationship with each other." He paused. "I've moved on."

Valerie watched him with wounded eyes as he walked to the door. "And you're always loyal to Danny aren't you?"

"You've always known that I was," Tucker told her as he put his hand on the knob. "And I know you're upset because you and Danny have broken up and you want revenge on him."

"I'm not a vengeful person," Valerie denied. Tucker sighed as he watched her start to cry again.

"I'm sorry Val," he told her sadly. "It's not fair that this has happened, but I think…"

"You think he and Sam belong together and you're happy they're getting married, even if it's not real."

"And they'll go their separate ways and Danny will be back in your life and…"

"No," Valerie said as she shook he head. "No no! Right now it hurts, because I've invested so much and I care about him, but I've wanted to get away for so long Tuck. I know it's going to be a relief eventually."

"Then why are you here?" Tucker asked still feeling angry at Valerie for trying to put him between her and Danny.

"I don't know," Valerie told him tiredly. "Because I know you understand. Because I've always had that stupid crush on you. Because of missed chances. Because I want to hurt Danny too."

Tucker opened the door and looked at Valerie expectantly. She walked forward and stopped in front of him. "Thanks," she said.

"Anytime," Tucker told her as he bent forward and kissed her cheek.

"So can I come back next time I feel this way?"

Tucker shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want to be your crutch, Val. I can be your friend, but that's about it."

Valerie sighed as she looked thoughtfully at Tucker. "I wish you'd tell me who she is."

"Who?" Tucker asked in confusion.

"Is it Sam?" Valerie asked. "I've never thought it could be, but I'm wondering. Is it Sam?"

"What are you talking about?" Tucker asked in bewilderment.

"Who are you in love with? Is it Sam? I mean I've watched you over the past few years go through girls, get engaged only to back away. I've been trying to figure out why. I figure it's because you love someone you can't have. I kinda recognize the pattern."

Tucker laughed. "It's no one," he told her shortly. "I'm just not ready to settle down." Valerie shook her head as she walked on to the porch.

"Good luck, Val," Tucker told her.

"Thanks," Val replied. "Same to you." She smiled at him a moment then walked to her car. Tucker waved as she walked away then shook his head as he walked back in the house.

* * *

Danny and Sam left the Fenton house then sat in the park making wedding plans. Sam had already managed to book a restaurant for the ceremony who would cater the whole event and to order invitations, which were going to be sent out to a very select few.

"We need to keep this as small as possible," Sam told Danny. "The less people involved the better."

"What about your parents?" Danny asked as he took Sam's hand as they sat in the grass. Sam rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You don't want to see them?"

"No," Sam answered shortly.

They said nothing for awhile as they watched people walking dogs and children playing in the park. Mother's pushing baby carriages.

"How has the ghost fighting business been?" Sam asked as she turned and looked at Danny, he smiled at her and shook his head.

"It wasn't so easy without you," he told her. "Tucker and I had some, errr….insane adventures. Fought Vlad a lot. He was always brining up your name." Danny sighed. "He thought you were my weakness. He would tell me he knew where you were, just to make me angry."

"You got angry?" Sam asked in surprise.

"I missed you," Danny answered honestly. "You were and always will be my best friend, Sam. My life just doesn't seem complete without you." Sam smiled weakly.

"So the ghosts?"

"The same as always. Skulker, The Box Ghost, Desiree, Technus. Some new creature every so often, but it kinda got to be routine after awhile. Now the ghost attacks are infrequent."

"Well I guess that's good," Sam answered as she sat back and let her eyes focus on the trees.

"What about you?" Danny asked. "How did you end up in France? How did you learn to speak French? How did you meet Jean Paul?"

"I went where the work was," Sam told him. "I managed to land a job at an antiques store. I sold some, restored a little. I learned to speak French out of necessity. Jean Paul helped."

"D-did he speak English at all?" Danny asked.

"Yes," Sam answered. "He did." Her eyes took on a far away look. Danny sighed as he watched her.

"He worked as consultant for a few collectors, and he'd come into my shop several times a week. He offered to help me with my language, but he admitted it was just an excuse to ask me out."

"Sneaky," Danny said flatly. The more he heard about Jean Paul, the more he hated him. He watched Sam as she talked about him, her eyes glittering with tears. He wanted to hold her and erase all her memories of her husband from her mind, to completely replace him. His heart burned and ached for her, and he wondered if she'd ever be able to love him again at all.

* * *

"Do you ever think of the future?" Sam said as she cuddled into Jean Paul's arms as the morning sun streamed through the window. He murmured something sleepily and she rolled on her stomach and looked at him. "Do you think it's a moment to moment thing or do you believe in fate?"

"I don't know," Jean Paul said as he opened his eyes and looked at her. "I believe we have free choice, but about fate, I don't know. Why?"

"Do you believe in soul mates?" Sam asked uncertainly. "Do you believe you can not be with your soul mate and be happy?"

Jean Paul sighed as he began to stroke Sam's back. She shivered and he pulled the blankets up around her shoulders and cuddled her. "You're thinking of Danny again?"

"No," Sam denied. "I'm thinking about you." Jean Paul raised his eyebrows and Sam sighed. "Just answer the question."

"Chéri," he began. "I don't believe that there is just one person who you're meant to be with for all time. I think each person has several soul mates. Just because Danny was your soul mate, doesn't mean you're fated to be with him or have to be with him to be happy."

"Can we forget about Danny for one minute?" Sam asked in irritation.

"Sorry," Jean Paul said as he moved the hair out of Sam's face. "Just jealous."

"For no reason," Sam told him angrily as she let out an exasperated breath. "You're not making this easy on me."

"What?" Jean Paul asked gently.

"I'm trying to tell you," Sam began then paused. She cleared her throat and looked up into his eyes. "I think that…"

"Yes?" he asked his expression filling with hope.

"I love you," she said on a sigh.

Jean Paul kissed her briefly then pulled away. "Tell me in French," he requested. Sam looked at him uncertainly.

"Je t'aime dans le français aussi. Là est-ce que vous êtes heureux?"

He laughed then kissed her then told her softly, "Je suis si soulagé. Je t'aime plus que les mots. Je t'aime tellement." He looked into her eyes a moment. She was tempted to look away in embarrassment, but he held her face so he could look at her. He smiled then pulled her to him and kissed her passionately and…

Sam woke up gasping for air again. She closed her eyes tight and said in French. "Why are you doing this to me Jean Paul. Stop." She curled up with her pillow and cried herself back to sleep.

--

**Translations:**

I can't do this. Kissing you is going to kill me.

I love you in French too. There are you happy?

I am so relieved. I love you more than words. I love you so much. "  



	7. Chapter 7

Fun Fact: Lacey52, author of Links in the Chain gave me the nickname Nonny.

Chapter Seven

Sam stood in front of the cream colored sheath dress hanging on the door and just stared. It hadn't really been hard to find a suitable wedding dress. It was incredibly simple, In some aspects it didn't even look like a wedding dress. It was plain with lace cap sleeves. It was ankle length and made of some synthetic fiber that Sam didn't bother to identify.

Her hair had been curled within an inch of its life by Jazz and coaxed into what Sam called a ridiculous updo with a ridiculous tiara stuck on her head. Jazz had done her make up in neutral tones which complimented the color of her eyes. Her cheeks were stained with an artificial blush as were her now rosy lips.

Sam had decided that it marrying Danny wasn't such a horrible chore. He was her friend after all, and she was comfortable with him. Even in weird and uncomfortable moments he still made her feel safe. Sam had forgotten how safe she always felt with him, but figured it had more to do with his ghost powers than Danny himself.

In the past two weeks he'd been so kind. He never pushed her or asked for more than she could give, he was patient and sweet and made her laugh. Sam knew he wanted more. She tried to ignore the fact that he couldn't go five minutes without touching her in some way or another. She tried to remain indifferent to those touches, but it was hard. He was Danny and some part of her would always care about him a little too much. All things aside, he was her best friend and she wasn't going to sacrifice that for her pride or anything else ever again.

Sam sighed as she reached out and touched the dress. Something about it reminded her of her first wedding dress, even though it was nothing like the pure white chiffon creation she'd worn for Jean Paul.

Her eyes glazed over as she remembered the summer evening. Jean Paul came for her wearing a dark blue suit and looking extremely handsome. They walked together to the ceremony, drank champagne and ended up dancing in the rain.

"Samantha," Jean Paul said as he held her close and they danced.

"Yes?" she asked as she lifted her head from his shoulder and met his loving gaze.

"Can we just keep dancing forever?" he questioned sweetly as he wiped the rain from her face. "Can I hold you forever? Are you really mine forever?"

"Forever?" Sam laughed as she looked into his soft chocolate colored eyes.

"Yes," he told her then kissed her ear, making her shiver. "Forever and ever and ever."

"I don't believe in forever, Jean Paul. We said until death do us part," she told him sensibly.

"Then we'll never die," he asserted then kissed her sweetly as she laughed.

"Sam?" Jazz asked as she poked her head into the room. "Are you ok?"

Sam broke herself out of her reverie and dashed her tears away. "I was just thinking," she answered.

Jazz walked the rest of the way into the room. She looked at Sam who was wrapped in her fluffy pink robe, holding on to it for dear life. "I'm here because we're ready for you," she said as she adjusted her sky blue sundress.

"I just need to put the dress on," Sam said robotically, still off in world where she danced with Jean Paul as he kissed her.

"Do you need help?" Jazz asked carefully. Sam shook her head as she reached out and unzipped the dress. She took off the robe and stepped into the dress, reflecting that the act was symbolic of slipping out of one phase of life and into another. Jazz helped her fasten the zipper then they both stood back and looked at Sam's reflection.

"You look beautiful," Jazz told her, hoping to lift Sam's spirits.

"Thanks,' Sam replied flatly. She didn't feel beautiful. She felt horrible and ugly. She wanted to run away and hide. She didn't want Danny to see her like this. She wanted to rip the dress off. She wanted to rip her hair down. She reached for the tiara and took it off her head, then wrenched the pins out of her hair.

"What are you doing?" Jazz asked in shock as she tried to stop Sam from destroying her hard work.

"I can't do it like this," she cried out in anguish, as Jazz stepped back in fear. "I have to walk down the aisle as me." She grabbed a brush from the bathroom and began straightening out her hair as much as possible, breathing a sigh of relief as she looked in the mirror. She looked more like herself instead of woman playing make-believe princess.

"You don't have to do this at all, Sam," Jazz told her worriedly. "We'll all understand. This is just horribly too soon."

"No," Sam said as she dropped the brush, then walked out the door. "I'm not changing my mind." Jazz said nothing more as she followed Sam at a near run.

* * *

Sam walked down the aisle toward Danny alone. A song was playing, but her blood was rushing too loudly in her ears for her to understand what it was. Danny was smiling at her. Tucker was smiling at her. Everyone was smiling at her and she didn't feel like smiling, but she smiled for Danny, because she didn't want to see him hurt.

"It's okay," Danny said as she reached him. He took her hand and she suddenly felt calmer, more at ease. She looked over Danny's shoulder at hatless Tucker who winked at her playfully. Sam smiled and began to realize that her two best friends in the world were there with her. Everything was going to be fine.

She and Danny made their vows to each other, kissed briefly then practically ran back down the aisle away from the clapping witnesses.

The minute they were out in the hall Danny picked Sam up in his arms and spun her around kissing her several times on he mouth before putting her down and smiling. Sam laughed and ruffled his hair and they smiled at each other happily.

"I lo.." Danny started then stopped himself. He took a deep breath. "I love your hair."

"Thanks," Sam laughed as she put her arm around him as they walked down the hall to wait for everyone. He placed a kiss on her head and she smiled. Yes, everything really was going to be all right, he believed. She was his now, finally. It had to work out. It would work out.

"I saw that," Jack teased as he appeared beside his son then hugged Sam. "Newlyweds."

Danny looked at Sam sharply and swallowed hard. He waited until all the guests had congratulated them before asking. "Did you know Dad was there?" Sam's smile faltered and faded into a frown. Her eyes saddened and she nodded her head.

"So all of that was just for show?" He asked feeling weak and sick.

"Yes," Sam answered slowly. "Of course it was…." She trailed off as a look of profound sadness flashed across Danny's face. She put her hand up to her mouth and said. "You didn't think that was real did you?" she bit her lip as she watched the emotions flash across his face.

"No!" Danny said quickly as he shook his head. "Of course not. That would be silly." It was yet another fake out make out in a long list of kisses between them which he realized to her, meant nothing.

"Danny?" Sam asked gently as she squeezed his arm.

"Yeah?" he asked not looking at her.

"You're lying."

Danny closed his eyes. "And what if I did think it was real? What if I want this to be real. Would that be so wrong?"

Sam let out a harsh breath. "Danny! Yes! It would be wrong! This isn't real. I don't want you to think this is real." She wanted to cry. She put her hands on the side of her head in anguish.

"Okay," Danny said quickly as he took her hands and forced her to look at him. He was more than a little bit frightened at Sam's sudden withdrawal. "I'm sorry. It's just so easy to get caught up in the moment." He gave her a goofy smile and she sighed. He feathered his fingers through her hair and pulled.

"You're such a dork," Sam teased.

"Gee thanks," Danny told her as he took her hand. "You just look so incredible and…"

Sam put up her hand and stopped him. "We need to be on the same page Danny. This is temporary. We are not in love with each other. I don't want you to think my feelings go beyond being your best friend."

"I know they don't," Danny told her as he clenched his free hand into a painful fist. "I know Sam. I won't forget again. Like I said. It's easy to get caught up in the moment."

Sam gave him a searching look and he smiled at her. "Don't worry, Sam. I won't fall in love with you." Because I already am, Danny added in his head.

* * *

They spent their first night as a married couple at Tucker's house. Neither Danny or Sam wanted to rent room in a hotel, it seemed too romantic. They couldn't stay at Danny's house, they'd have to play happy couple for Jack's benefit, and how could they explain that they were sleeping in separate beds?

Tucker had prepared the couch for Danny and Sam had gone to her room immediately upon entering the house, leaving Tucker and Danny to look at each other questioningly. Sam couldn't bear the façade any longer. She wanted to yell at Danny. He had used every single opportunity available to give her quick pecking kisses all evening, and it wasn't though she hated the kisses, it was that memories of Jean Paul were everywhere and she felt like she was betraying him. Somewhere inside, despite her anger she still felt married to Jean Paul.

"I don't know why you're so upset," she said to herself in the bathroom mirror as she readied herself for a showers. "You shouldn't feel unfaithful to him. It wasn't like he was faithful to you." She walked into the steaming shower and allowed herself to cry. She felt so torn apart inside, missing Jean Paul. She felt so guilty for being happy just to be around Danny, for being seriously attracted to him, even for having warm feelings toward him, and sometimes for not missing Jean Paul at all.

She washed quickly, dried, dressed, then ran back to her room, afraid to look and see if Tucker and Danny were still in the living room talking. She finished getting ready for bed then cuddled up under the covers and tried to close her eyes and sleep.

She could hear Danny and Tucker talking in the living room. Both their voices were comforting to her even though she couldn't understand what they were saying. It was wonderful to know they were there. She hadn't realized how much she missed them. Jean Paul had done a great job of diverting her attention, and she wondered, if she hadn't met him, would she have eventually come back?

* * *

Danny frowned as he listened to Sam cry in the shower. He looked at Tucker who shook his head.

"She cries a lot," Tucker told Danny. "Mostly at night. She doesn't sleep well. Cries out for Jean Paul."

Danny's stomach twisted and he leaned back on the couch. "What am I supposed to do? I can hunt and banish ghosts back to the Ghost Zone, but the ghost of a memory is something else. I can't fight it."

Tucker shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe you shouldn't try. Maybe you should just back off. She needs time. I was talking to Jazz and she says…"

"You've been talking to Jazz?" Danny asked in surprise. "Why?"

Tucker looked at Danny for a minute and shook his head. " In case you haven't noticed, Danny. Sam is a mess."

"Sam's perfectly fine," Danny said angrily. "A little distant sometimes, but she's fine."

"Clueless," Tucker growled. "Just wait. You'll see what I mean."

Danny rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. Tucker stood. "I'm going to bed Danny. Try not to push Sam too hard ok?"

"I haven't been pushing Sam too hard," Danny denied. Tucker gave him a look of exasperation and left.

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" Jean Paul asked as he moved Sam's head so she was looking at him.

"Nothing important," Sam answered. "I was just thinking about home. It's been a year now. I wonder how Danny and Tucker are." Jean Paul frowned heavily and Sam instantly wished she hadn't brought up Danny's name.

"Do you ever stop thinking about him?" Jean Paul asked bitterly. "Or does he encompass your every moment, every thought?"

"No," Sam replied in an irritated tone. "I haven't thought of home in a long time."

"You are feeling home sick. You miss your friends. You miss that stupid boy. What about me? Am I not important to you?"

"Yes," Sam told him. "But that doesn't change my past or stop me from remembering it."

Jean Paul stood and angrily walked across the room. "I'm jealous. I'll admit it. I'm jealous that I don't have all of your heart! I want all of your heart as I've given all of myself to you. I want all of you Sam."

"I'm not ready for that kind of step!" Sam told him as he walked toward her and knelt down in front of her. She smoothed her hand through his hair and smiled then frowned at the sad and angry look on his face.

"I cannot help but be possessive of you. I want to wrap you up in my arms and hold you forever," Jean Paul told her passionately. "I want you to be mine, and I hate, hate, hate that someone else lives in the part of your heart I so desperately wish to own."

"People can't be owned," Sam told him angrily. "I don't want to be owned by anyone."

"You own me!" Jean Paul told her angrily. "You own every part of me, but you don't want me."

"That's not true!" Sam sighed. She looked down at Jean Paul's hands on her lap and sighed. "I do want you. I just don't want to lose me."

"Give yourself to me," Jean Paul whispered as he moved forward and kissed her softly. "I'll never let you lose who you are. You'll be safe. I'll protect your heart and…and when you are that safe, you are so much more free to be yourself. I'd never lose you Samantha. I'd never let you go. I'm not that stupid"

"I'm too scared," Sam admitted.

"You're safe with me," Jean Paul said as he stood and pulled Sam into his arms. "I'll never hurt you. Never." He pulled her close and looked into her eyes. "I love you. How can I make you accept it?"

"I don't know," Sam told him then shivered as he slipped his fingers beneath her shirt. He smiled at her wickedly as he unclasped her bra.

"I know I love you," he said as he placed a kiss on her neck. "I know I want to be loved by you. I know I'll love no one but you, forever."

"I don't know if I can," Sam repeated as his fingers caressed her skin. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

"Try," Jean Paul said as he trailed kisses along her jaw line. "Give me a chance to erase that stupid little boy from your heart, Sam. Please." He pulled away and looked into her eyes.

"Okay," Sam told him reluctantly.

"Yes?" Jean Paul asked happily.

"Yes," Sam answered. He grinned then lifted her in his arms and carried her into his house.

* * *

"Vous avez menti! Vous avez menti! Pourquoi ?" Sam yelled then woke up with her usual start. She looked around the darkened room then took a deep breath, then shrieked in shock as Danny, in ghost form suddenly appeared.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he looked worriedly around the room. "Are you all right?"

Sam looked at him a moment then smiled. "Yeah," she told him. "I'm fine. It's just a bad dream."

"Oh," Danny said. He looked under the bed and Sam chuckled.

"Go back to sleep," she told him as she ran her hand through her hair. She needed to cry and she couldn't while Danny was in the room.

Danny sat down on the end of the bed. "Tell me about your dream," he told her.

"No," Sam said forcefully. "No. I'm not going to. Just go."

"Tuck says you cry every night," Danny continued. "Maybe you should talk about it. Repressing your feelings isn't healthy."

Sam smiled wryly. "You sound like Jazz." Danny grinned at her and she shook her head.

"Talking won't help," Sam finally said. "It won't change anything. It won't change that Jean Paul is dead. It won't change that I still love him. It won't make the pain go away."

"I'm sorry," Danny told her helplessly. "I don't know what to say."

"Just go away!" Sam said forcefully.

"I'm going to go for a flight," Danny told her as he stood. Sam nodded her head and sighed gratefully. "Do you want to come?"

"No I don't want to go, thanks." Sam told him. "I just need to be alone." Danny looked at her a minute then flew out of the room. Sam waited until she felt like it was safe then curled up on the bed to cry.

"Jean Paul, vous me rendez si furieux! Pourquoi me l'avez-vous fait? Pourquoi?" she sobbed then wailed as she pounded the bed in anguish.

Danny stood outside her window watching her and his heart breaking all over again as the only woman he ever really wanted to love, was in love with a jerk named Jean Paul who had cheated on her, hurt her, then died. But then, Danny acknowledged bitterly. He was happy Jean Paul was dead.

* * *

He couldn't keep his eyes off of Sam as they sat in the limo on the way to Wisconsin. She was his wife. Sam. Sam was his wife. They were married to each other. He frowned thoughtfully, the problem was that she didn't want to be his wife. She didn't love him. She was going to eventually leave him.

He had allowed himself to pretend too much, but as she walked toward him down the aisle, he couldn't help but pretend it was real. He wanted it to be real. Sam would be so angry if she knew how hard he'd fallen for her in the past two weeks. He knew he loved her before, but now it was just amazing. He'd never felt anything like it, and worse he couldn't share it with her.

"Stop looking at me," Sam told him teasingly as she moved her leg and kicked him.

He smiled tiredly. "Can't help it," he said. "You're sitting there. I have to look somewhere. You keep moving. I keep looking at you."

"Look out the window," Sam told him as she pointed at the world speeding by. "The world is moving. You can look at that."

"It's boring," Danny complained. "I'd rather look at you." She gave him a narrowed eyed glare.

"Danny," she said warningly as she read the emotions in his eyes. He was hiding things poorly and she was tempted to run.

"Sammy," he said teasingly. "I'm just rememorizing you. That's all. I still have the image of you from when you were eighteen stuck in my head. I want to memorize how you are now."

"Oh that's lame," Sam laughed as she fiddled with the gold bracelets on her wrists.

"Thanks," Danny told her as he took her hand. "And you really need to lighten up Sam. You act like I am going to attack you and drag you off to my cave and do wicked things to you."

A tingling heat curled through Sam's stomach and she closed her eyes. Didn't she wish he would? No no. She didn't, but oh yes she did. She hated herself. She opened one eye and met his amused blue gaze.

"Unless you want me too," Danny teased. Part of him hoped she'd say that she did. He knew that she didn't but he could hope.

"You're sick in the head," Sam told him as she reached out and pinched him. Danny pinched her back, phasing away from her as she retaliated again.

"Not fair!" Sam growled. "You know the rules!" Danny stuck out his tongue and she stopped, swallowed and moved away from him. She realized she wanted desperately to kiss him, very desperately. Danny watched her in bewilderment as she emotional and physically pulled away from him.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently.

"I'm tired," Sam said curtly. "Just really tired." She put her head on the window and sighed.

"Sam," Danny told her. "You can trust me you know." His words were like daggers in her heart. Of course she could trust him. He was Danny not Jean Paul.

"I know," Sam replied. "I just can't."

Danny sighed. "How long have we been friends?" Sam looked at him tiredly. "Have I ever, ever done anything that would make you not trust me? I'm your friend. Nothing more." Sam nodded her head and Danny took her hand and pulled her close to him.

"You should sleep," Danny said as he held her. He knew she wasn't sleeping well.

"What about you?" She asked as she let herself relax against him, her body ached with exhaustion. This was Danny, not Jean Paul. He was her friend, she could trust him with her life, and had on many occasions.

"I don't need much sleep, remember?" he answered. Sam nodded then yawned again as she closed her eyes. Danny held her as she fell asleep. He reasoned that at least she was his wife, now all he had to do was convince her she wanted to be for real. He shifted the sleeping woman so she was laying more comfortably in his arms, closed his eyes and let himself dream.

* * *

"Sam," Danny whispered as he shook her awake. "We're almost there."

Sam lifted her head tiredly. "Already?" she asked as she looked out the window. She smiled slightly. They were on Vlad's property. It wouldn't be but ten minutes until they reached his house. She stretched then looked out the window expectantly.

Danny's mouth dropped open as the limo drove over the rise and he looked down at what was once Vlad's domain. He couldn't believe it. The green and gold flags had been replaced with black and silver, his colors. The colors of his ghost side, Danny Phantom.

"It looks even better than I imagined," Sam said as she leaned against him to see out the window. "The only thing missing is your emblem, but I kinda thought that would be too much."

Danny looked at Sam in amazement. "You did this?" he asked, his heart swelling in his chest. He was almost speechless as he looked at her. The fact that she did this for him, had to mean she loved him, somewhere inside her heart.

"Yeah," Sam answered as she grinned mischievously. "I imagine it would piss Vlad off to no end to have your banner flying over his home." She chuckled. "Besides, why not put your mark here? Chase away his shadow." Danny watched her thoughtfully for a moment then waited as the car stopped and the door was opened.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Fenton," Marsha said as she approached from the door. Danny's heart thrilled at the title.

"I'm not taking his name," Sam corrected Marsha briskly. She didn't take Jean Paul's name and that marriage was real, why would she take Danny's? "I read no clause that said I had to take his name." Danny's heart sank.

"You are correct Ms. Manson,' Marsha told her. "I apologize. I should have been more sensitive."

"Thank you," Sam replied as she looked at Danny.

"Daniel," Marsha said as she extended her hand. We haven't had the pleasure of meeting. My name is Marsha Watts-Wyatt. Please call me Marsha. I'm been appointed the property manager of the estate. Anything you need, you have but to tell me and it will be done." Danny shook her hand then both he and Sam followed her inside. He grimaced at the green and gold interior.

"Sorry," Sam told him. "I thought maybe we'd want to go through things before we changed the inside."

"Smart thinking," Danny told her, his mind already focusing on the lab.

"We have a few things to discuss," Marsha told them. "Terms. Vlad's terms. Mr. Porter gave me all the instructions. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," Danny said as he smiled at her weakly.

"Twice weekly," Marsha began. "You will submit to weekly visits with the counselors Vlad has appointed to oversee the validity of your marriage as well as random surprise inspections."

"What?" Sam and Danny asked in unison then looked at each other. Danny took Sam's hand.

"The terms state that your marriage must be considered valid to meet its standards. You will share each other's lives. I trust this is not an issue correct?" She looked at both of them sternly. "You didn't marry just to inherit the estate? You truly love each other, correct?"

"Of course we do," Sam said as she smiled at Danny. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided it was better that he stay silent. Marsha nodded her head and presented a few documents for them both to sign, agreeing that their union was solid and real.

"I'll give you a tour of the house then show you to your bedroom," Marsha told them.

"A tour isn't necessary," Danny told her. "I've been here before."

"Then your room," She told him. "It's been set up according to specific guidelines. It cannot be changed until certain terms, which I am not at liberty to discuss, have been met, then it's yours to do with as you please."

"There are no hidden cameras are there?" Sam asked wryly.

Marsha looked at her and laughed. "I can assure you with great confidence, that there are no surveillance devices of any kind installed in your suite."

* * *

The room was large and comfortable with a king size canopy bed taking center stage. Danny's mouth went dry as he looked at it. Everything in the room was stark white, pristine, pure.

Marsha congratulated them on their marriage, told them their bags would be unpacked shortly, she'd understand if they wished to…take a nap, as their journey had been long. She smiled knowingly then left the room.

"She's a ghost," Danny said as the door clicked shut.

"Really?" Sam asked thoughtfully as she walked over to the bed and sat down. She let out a deep breath and considered how they were going to deal with sleeping arraignments. "How do you know? Did your ghost sense go off?"

"No," Danny replied. "I can just tell."

"Is Mr. Porter a ghost too?"

"No," Danny answered. He smoothed his hand over the covers and looked at Sam.

"Don't worry," Sam told him. "This bed is big enough for four people. You won't even know I'm there."

Danny shook his head as he walked around the room then checked the bathroom. He refrained from telling her that they could be sleeping in the biggest bed in the world, with thirty people between them, and he'd still know she was there.

"I wonder what Vlad's whole plan is," Danny said. "I'm sure he wasn't intending on a happily ever after for us."

"I don't know," Sam said. "I think he…he thought I was married so none of this would ever happen."

Danny looked at her in confusion and she told him about running into Vlad when she was in France. They'd avoided all talk about Vlad before. Most of their time together had been spent in reminiscence and Danny suddenly wished he'd asked her more questions about her time in Paris.

"He seemed almost gleeful," Sam told Danny who was frowning deeply. "He gave me a gift, which I gave to charity, and that was that. I never saw him again."

"You realize," Danny said seriously. "We're going to have to pretend this is real."

"Yeah," Sam replied as she sat up straight. "But, we're friends. As long as we both remember it's not." She paused and gave Danny a stern look. "I think we'll be fine." Sam didn't feel like everything was fine. She didn't want to pretend to be in love with Danny, but she would. She stood and went to stand beside him.

"Let's make a promise," she started.

"Okay," Danny told her, willing to promise almost anything just so he could legitimately be close to her.

"We'll only discuss the falseness of our relationship in here. Outside that door we pretend our marriage is real."

Danny blinked at her and suppressed his grin. "Okay."

Sam gave him a warning look. "Don't go forgetting that it's a game," She told him as he moved closer to her, wearing a drop dead gorgeous smile and devilment in his eyes.

"What is that look for?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips, trying not to laugh.

"We need practice," he told her. "We've kissed what three times in our lives?"

"You're forgetting yesterday," Sam told him. He'd kissed her lightly over a dozen times.

"Okay," Danny said as he put his hand on her waist. "But it needs to look real. Comfortable. Believable."

"You're looking for an excuse to kiss me," Sam accused almost angrily as she stepped away from him. She admitted it was a great excuse.

"That too," Danny admitted as he threaded one hand through her hair and the other around her waist as he and bent down almost brushing his mouth against hers.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Sam told him as their breath mingled. Danny paused as he looked into her eyes. Her pupils were dilated so he almost couldn't tell her eyes were lavender. He could feel her heart racing. It gave him hope.

"I do," he told her then closed the minute distance between her mouth and his. Sam tried to brace herself against responding, but she had been prepared for a gentle assault, not all out war.

Danny, for his part decided to hell with it. He wasn't going to ask permission, he acknowledged to himself that he was fighting the ghost of Jean Paul and he never backed away from any ghost, he always fought them head on.

He pushed his tongue past her slightly parted lips with no warning, putting his hand on the back of her head to keep her from pulling away as he devoured her mouth. He stroked her tongue with his briefly before darting it back out of her mouth and devouring her lips, then waited a moment for her reaction.

Danny could feel her pulse pounding beneath his finger tips, and he could feel her uncertainty as he grazed his teeth along her lower lip, he licked the inside of her upper lip then slid his tongue against hers again, almost smiling as she whimpered at his withdrawal so he could focus on her lips once more.

Sam's mind clouded over as she melted against Danny in surrender, her arms creeping around his neck, her fingers traveling into his hair. Did she want this kiss? Yes, she'd wanted it for years and years. He groaned in satisfaction and triumph as her tongue finally sought his, and the kiss became less dominating and more equal, but no less hungry and intense.

Danny could feel her trembling in his arms, and he changed directions and kissed her lovingly, gently, sweetly. He loved her, so much it was unreal to him. How could he have ever been so stupid to let her out of his life? He was angry at himself for not trying harder to find her. He should have found her and brought her home before Jean Paul had time to work his spell on her, to steal her away.

They were both breathing heavy when Danny finally pulled away and looked into Sam's face. Her eyes remained closed and his heart twisted painfully at the idea that maybe, in her heart, she was imagining someone else holding her. His breath stilled and he waited for what seemed like an eternity for her eyes open.

"Oh Danny," she sighed as opened lavender eyes and looked at him. He let out the breath he was holding and resisted the urge to take her mouth all over again, but he decided it was better to wait for her, he didn't want to completely overwhelm her. She looked for a moment like she was going to kiss him again as her eyes focused on his lips.

But instead of seeking his mouth again, tears filled her eyes and she turned her face away. "Let me go," she ordered coolly. Danny loosened his arms and she pushed away from him.

Sam didn't know what to say. She wanted to yell at him, she wanted to beg him to kiss her again. She wanted to push him onto the bed and do things to him that made her cheeks sting with shame.

"Oh god!" Sam said as she put her hand to her mouth. "I-I can't do this. I can't! Jean Paul avait raison!" She turned and ran into the bathroom, leaving Danny reeling with the fact that he'd lost the battle.

"Damn Jean Paul," he growled as he paced the room. He wanted to punch the wall. He wanted to find the man and beat the hell out of him. He wanted Sam back. He wanted another chance, and it was likely that he never would get that chance, because Jean Paul had hurt her too much and refused to let go of her heart.

Sam came out of the bathroom looking a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she told Danny softly. "I just..I just wasn't expecting... I didn't know."

"It's all right," Danny said as he resisted the urge to go to her. "I'm sorry. I should have given you more time. I should have kept my hands to myself."

"No," Sam said as she put up her hand to silence his apology. "It's good that it happened like this. I'll be ready next time. No running." Danny looked at her warily.

She walked to the door. "Let's go find Marsha and then explore this place and see if we can figure out was Vlad was up to before he died." She held out her hand toward Danny who took her hand and walked with her out of the room, hoping beyond hope for a million reasons to kiss her again, and still despising Jean Paul just because Sam loved him.

--

**French Translations:**

You lied! You lied! Why?

Jean Paul, you make me so angry! Why did you do this to me? Why?

Jean Paul was right!  



	8. Chapter 8

Fun Fact: I wrote this story in 26 days. It was first published at FFN on September 30th, 2006 and was completed October 27th, 2006.

Chapter Eight

_Sam sat on the balcony of her apartment, sipping tea and watching the sun rise peacefully across the city. She loved Paris, but she was feeling homesick. She looked down at the notebook in front of her. She was writing a letter to Tucker, finally._

It was the same homesickness she was feeling now, which woke her up, thinking of Tucker. She missed him and felt bad that she left without telling him good bye. She wanted to let him know she was safe and happy. Sam had crawled out of bed, careful not to disturb her husband, made tea and her way out to the balcony to write.

"You're up early," Jean Paul said as he walked onto the balcony, carrying a cup of tea and two croissants. He placed one pastry before Sam who looked at it askance then put her hand on the notebook on the table, slowly sliding it into her lap.

"Did you sleep well?" Sam asked as she picked up the cup of tea she'd made earlier then frowned to find it empty. Jean Paul replaced his cup with hers and smiled at her tenderly.

"I would have been better if I hadn't woken to find my wife missing," he told her petulantly.

Sam took a sip of tea and looked back out across the city. She'd wanted some time to herself. "I had a bad dream. I didn't want to wake you."

Jean Paul sighed deeply, and Sam shook her head. "I'm not going to disturb your sleep just because I wake up early. You don't wake me when you do."

"Because you, unlike me," Jean Paul began. "Need your rest. You didn't come to bed until after two. What were you doing?"

"Nothing important," Sam told him as she glanced down at the table. "Just reading."

"When we have a house. We'll need a huge library," he teased. "And there will be a bed in there for the both of us, because that's the only way I'll get to sleep with my arms around my wife."

Sam smiled and picked at the croissant. She knew if she didn't eat Jean Paul would worry about her, but she felt croissants were too buttery and greasy. They made her feel queasy.

"What's in your lap?" Jean Paul asked casually.

"Nothing important," Sam told him. She smiled weakly.

"Can I see?" he asked as he held out his hand.

Sam looked down in her lap then shook her head. "It's personal."

"Personal!" Jean Paul exclaimed, obviously offended. "What does that mean? Personal? I am your husband. You are my wife, there is nothing too personal to share with each other." He stood and took the notebook from her lap. She closed her eyes and braced herself for a fight.

"You're writing a letter to Tucker?" Jean Paul asked incredulously. "Are you sure it's not really meant for Danny?"

"Yes," Sam said acidly. "I'm writing secretly to Danny. I want him to come here and take me away from a life I love. I want him to steal me away from the man I love. I want to run away from you. There. Does that make you happy?"

Jean Paul threw the notebook on the table and stalked into the house. Sam growled under her breath. She waited a moment then followed him.

"I'm sorry," she said as he began dressing. "I didn't mean that. You know I was being sarcastic."

"I don't appreciate your sarcasm," Jean Paul replied coldly. Sam folded her arms over her chest and watched as Jean Paul sat down to put on his shoes. He was now deadly calm.

"I'm sorry," she repeated, trying to diffuse the situation. "You're just so nosey." He looked at her sadly then stopped what he was doing.

"Really," he began as he stood and moved toward Sam. She took a step back then closed her eyes as he took her arm. "Why are you writing a letter to America? Are you no longer in love with France? Do you no longer love me? What?"

"I just miss my friend," Sam said as she shrugged her shoulder, not looking at Jean Paul as he stared at her intensely.

"I am not enough?" he asked emotionlessly. "What can I do to be more? So you don't need these boys in your life? What should I do?"

"Nothing," Sam answered honestly. "Not everything is about you and me! This is about my life before you!"

Jean Paul cursed under his breath and pressed Sam against the wall. She closed her eyes. "Our lives before each other is history," he began angrily. "Now it's just you and me. No one else. I don't want the shadows of your past invading our lives."

"My past. Our pasts are part of us!" Sam told him defiantly. "I'm not going to ignore where I came from."

"Fine!" Jean Paul growled as he moved away from her. He paced around the room. "Who will leave. Me or you? This was my home before it was yours. I say you leave."

Sam shook her head. "You're saying you want to divorce me over writing a letter to an old friend?"

"I'm saying you are not committed to me. You obviously don't love me if you can't consider my feelings on this matter."

Sam dropped her shoulders in defeat. "I won't write the letter then. Will that make you happy?"

"Yes," Jean Paul said as he stood before Sam again. He kissed her quickly then smoothed her hair behind her ear. "I want to be the only man in your life Sam. You're the only woman in mine. Everything, everything I do is for you. The air I breathe, the food I eat, the water I drink, for you."

"You're insane," Sam told him as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

"Insanely in love with you," Jean Paul told her tenderly. "And very threatened over your past. I'm sorry. Sam please. Can't you just let it go? I know I'm unreasonable but…"

"I can let it go," she told him as she rose up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek. He smiled at her in relief.

"Do you love me even a little bit?" he asked tenderly and hopefully.

Sam smiled and shook her head. "I don't love you just a little bit," she told him. "I love you with all my heart."

"Then come back to bed, my darling wife. It's too early to be up, fighting with each other."

Sam hesitated as Jean Paul pulled her toward the bed. He gave her an exasperated look and she sighed. It was better not to fight with him again.

"Arrêtez de m'étouffer!" Sam cried out over and over then sat up and took several deep breaths. She was disoriented and completely unaware of where she was. Suddenly, a hand was on her back and she pulled away with a cry of dismay.

"Sam?" Danny asked fearfully. "What's wrong." She blinked at him a moment then flopped back on the pillows and took a deep breath.

"Nothing," she told him weakly. "Go back to sleep."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Danny asked as he moved back to his side of the bed, straightening the pillows Sam had insisted they place between them.

"No," Sam told him shortly. "I don't. Please, please don't ask me again."

"You should talk to someone, Sam," Danny said as he yawned and blinked sleepily.

"I don't want to talk to anyone," Sam replied angrily. "I want to talk to Jean Paul." She tried to hold back her tears, but like always they wouldn't stay put and she couldn't hold back her sobs.

Danny was now wide awake as he listened to Sam cry in anguish. He wanted to comfort her, but he was sure she'd push him away, so he just laid there while she cried then eventually fell back to sleep.

He watched her for awhile after she closed her eyes, then moved the pillows out of the way and rolled toward her. He put his hand on the small of her back and she rolled over out of reflex and cuddled up against him. She sighed in what he thought could have been relief as he put his arms around her, kissed the top of her head and tried to fall asleep.

"Merci mon amour!" she whispered softly.

Danny felt like his heart was ripping in two. He didn't understand French, but he knew what she said, "Thank you my love". Danny knew she was talking to Jean Paul, she had to be, there is no way she would call him her love. Ever. He wanted to die, but he held on to her instead, breathing in the scent of her and telling himself that she'd never love him again, he wanted her too much and he was already messing everything up.

"I'm sorry, Sammy," he told her then allowed himself to fall asleep, knowing full well that she was going to kill him if she woke up and found herself in his arms.

* * *

Danny woke up first and over the next few days it turned into a pattern. Sam would wake up from a nightmare crying, he would wait for her to fall asleep then pull her into his arms, then make sure he woke up before her.

He contemplated holding her before she woke up crying, hoping to keep the dreams at bay, but was afraid it wouldn't work, and he'd be caught and she'd kill him.

Sam for her part felt like she slept better, but was completely unaware of the situation. She would wake up alone and have to hunt him down, give him a good morning kiss and then they would have breakfast together.

They'd found that Vlad's lab was completely inaccessible. Not because they couldn't open the doors and just walk right in, but Marsha appeared and explained that due to the terms of the agreement, the lab would not be available to them for six months or a year, depending on a few mysterious factors. Danny had tried to get in using his ghost form, but it was protected by a shield.

"Vlad was a creep," Danny grumbled as he tapped away on the laptop they'd found in Vlad's office. They'd been unable to crack the password, though they had tried all possible variation of Maddie with Vlad's name.

"Face it," Sam said as she stood behind Danny with her arms wrapped around him and her chin on his shoulder. "We need Tucker for this."

Danny sighed as he pulled Sam onto his lap. "You should call him."

"Why me?" Sam asked. She decided she'd gotten way too used to Danny's frequent displays of affection. She was trying to wean herself off of the addiction, even though it had only been a few days, she could see a huge problem growing. She smiled as she ran her finger along the bridge of his nose. He took her palm and kissed it.

"Because I've asked Tucker for too many favors. I think the last thing he wants to do is come here and play computer technician." Danny answered as he looked into Sam's eyes. He seemed to spend every waking moment, and quite a few sleeping ones, thinking of excuses and ways to kiss her.

Sam knew exactly what he was thinking and she smiled at him in exasperation then watched his eyes dilate as she leaned forward and brushed her lips on his cheek. They were aware that they were being watched frequently, so it was wise to say nothing and to just go with the flow. She told herself that it wasn't a big deal, but it was and she decided she enjoyed kissing Danny far more than she should.

"Sam," Danny sighed then moved slightly as he pulled her closer and nibbled at her mouth.

"What," she replied as she refused to give in into the kiss. Danny's answer was to dive his tongue past her lips. Sam tried to force herself not to relax into the embrace, but she was unable to resist and she melted against him and indulged herself the feel of Danny, oh to go back four years.

It was hard to be aware of anything but his lips sliding against her own, but when her back made contact with the leather of the couch, she gasped, which only served to invite the kiss to deepen further.

He slipped his hands beneath her shirt and ran his fingers up her spine, causing her to shiver as she wrapped her arms around him tighter, knowing she should stop him, she knew where this was going, but she just couldn't help herself at the moment, besides outside of their room, they were supposed to present the illusion that they were lovers. She told herself it was all just make believe, nothing was real.

"Tu me rends dingue," Sam whispered as Danny's lips trailed from her mouth to her neck as he moved over her on the couch.

Danny look sleepily into Sam's eyes. "What?" he asked. Sam opened her mouth to answer, but a wisp of blue escaped from Danny's mouth and they both froze.

"She said," an amused voice called from behind the couch. "You make her crazy!"

"Spectra!" Danny growled as he moved away from Sam, helping her to sit up in the process. Sam blinked as she looked over the back of the couch at the ghost who was standing a few feet away with a sadistic grin on her face.

"Long time no see," she said as she walked around then sat down at the chair Danny and Sam had abandoned for the couch, crossed her ankles and surveyed the couple with a look of amused glee on her face.

"I would have been happy never to see you again," Danny growled as he glared at her.

"Ah," Spectra said as a notepad and pencil materialized in her hand. "I'm sorry I interrupted your little make out session, but I'm here on some rather important business."

"You're here to inspect our relationship?" Sam asked as she straightened her hair. She looked at Danny for a minute and smiled slightly at the small blush creeping across his cheeks. She loved that he still blushed.

"Yes," Spectra answered happily. "Among other things."

"Why?" Danny asked.

Spectra gave him a sultry look. "Why for the pleasure of it," she answered. "I find romantic emotions just as liberating as teen depression, only it's not as fulfilling, unfortunately."

"I bet," Danny replied dryly as he pulled Sam into a protective embrace.

"Samantha," Spectra said as she turned her focus from Danny. "It has been a very long time. The last I heard, you were living in France, married to an extremely sexy man by the name of Jean Paul."

"Not anymore," Sam said shortly, she wasn't about to let Spectra push her into depression. She could feel the pull of it on her heart.

"Yes," Spectra began sadly as her face contorted in sorrow. "I heard. So sad really. I understand you loved each other quite deeply. That's why I am so surprised to find you here now, married to our sweet Danny."

"It's not really any of your business," Sam replied coldly.

"Oh but it is," Spectra told her as her eyes widened in a look of sweet innocence. "It's all my business now." She smiled sweetly at both Danny and Sam.

"I can see you have lustful desire down quite well," she stated as she looked back and forth between the two. Then put her hand on her hip and said flatly with a skeptical expression, "I'm just not seeing the love."

"Well you must not be looking closely enough," Danny growled angrily. "Sam and I have always loved each other! Always!"

"And it has taken until now to get the courage to do something about it?" Spectra asked curiously. "Ahh unrequited love requited. Too bad it's only one sided."

"What?" Danny asked in bewilderment. Spectra smiled wickedly then turned to Sam.

"Dear," She began. "Bertrand is standing outside the room waiting for you. Be a dear and follow him out to the garden so you and he can have a little chat." Sam opened her mouth and Danny pulled her up against him, wrapping his arms around her defensively.

"I assure you," Spectra began impatiently. "That you will both be fine, we are under strict orders to keep you safe. We can't harm you or we face…dire consequences."

Sam looked at Danny a moment. "I'm more worried for you than me," she told him.

"I'll be okay," he said. "But…"

Sam put her hand on the side of his face. "I'll call if I need you," she said then moved to kiss the corner of his mouth. Danny wanted to stop her but the look in her eyes warned him to just play along. She walked to the door, took one more look at him.

"I'll meet you in our room later," she husked in a sensual tone as she eyed Danny like he was a plate of prime rib and she'd just given up vegetarianism. Danny's mouth dropped open for a moment then he swallowed hard and shot a quick look at a highly amused Spectra as Sam waltzed from the room." Danny looked at Spectra as she tapped her pen on her notepad and smiled.

"She doesn't love you," Spectra stated flatly as she examined her fingernails with a bored expression on her face. "She still very much belongs to her husband." She paused a moment then corrected, "Her first husband."

Her eyes glittered maliciously at Danny. "That doesn't mean I can't love her," Danny defended as a weight of profound sadness settled around him.

"You're right," Spectra said sympathetically. "You're very right, but it's also going to tear you apart. Living with and loving a woman who will never really belong to you will kill you. You should give up this pretense before it's too late, before you're in too deep."

"This is no pretense," Danny growled as he watched Spectra smirk. "Sam and I are committed to each other. Just because she doesn't love me now, doesn't mean she won't in the future."

"As a friend," Spectra inserted. "I'm sure she'll always love you as her childhood friend. Her buddy Danny."

Danny gave her a dirty look. "And that doesn't mean our marriage is fake. It just means we need time to adjust. She needs time to adjust! I love her I'm giving her that space."

Spectra laughed and jotted a few things down on her note pad. "You truly are naïve, aren't you Danny." She looked back up at him and noted his green glowing eyes.

"And quick to temper too," Spectra stated as she raised her eyebrows. "Interesting."

Danny stood in disgust and walked to the window. He could see Sam walking in the garden with Bertrand. She looked angry at whatever Bertrand was saying. Danny sighed deeply and put his hands in his pockets, trying hard not to let the sadness Spectra was draping over his shoulders weigh him down.

"She understands me," Danny began wistfully without any kind of prompting from Spectra. "She understands me in a way that no one in the world does or could. She's my best friend, and I love her."

Spectra sighed deeply and shook her head. "You love her. Why?"

"I just told you why!" Danny replied in annoyance as he kept his eyes trained on Sam. She looked up at the window and smiled. He put his fingers on the cool glass and she winked, then looked away from him.

"The type of love you describe can be interpreted as platonic, familial," Spectra told him shortly "That doesn't convince me of anything romantic going on between the two of you."

"Fine," Danny said as he turned his back on the window. "I love her because she's beautiful. I love her because she's the most perfect woman I know. I love her because she's intelligent, funny, sweet, sarcastic, cruel, witty, brave, strong and everything I want in a woman. What more do you want me to say?"

"If you had said incredibly sexy I may have been satisfied," Spectra said smugly. Danny sighed and turned to look out the window and found Sam gone and Bertrand standing in the garden with his hand on his face looking a little dazed.

Spectra came up behind him and he moved away from her. "You're free to go," she said in a slow condescending tone. "I can tell your anxious to meet her, but I know that nothing is really going on between you Danny, not like you want me to believe. I can read it in your aura. You want her, but you're not lovers. Really, you're not fooling me. And, until I'm satisfied that this union is real, I get to hold back the first payment in your inheritance. Isn't that lovely?"

Danny said nothing else as he shot Spectra an angry glance and stormed from the room, feeling sick to his stomach at the sound of her laughter.

* * *

Sam shook her head in exasperation as Bertrand followed her down the steps of the mansion and out into the garden. She had purposefully chosen to stand where Danny would be able to see her, just in case Bertrand decided to pull something funny.

"So how are things going Samantha?" The little man asked obsequiously.

"Don't call me that," Sam hissed. "My name is Sam."

"Your birth certificate says Samantha," Bertrand pointed out smugly.

"My name is Samantha Alexandra Manson," she told him forcefully. "S.A.M! I go by my initials you idiot!"

"All right," Bertrand finally conceded. "So how are things going…Sam?"

"Things are fine," Sam answered shortly as she folded her arms across her chest and turned away from the idiotic ghost.

"You miss him don't you? Your husband." Bertrand asked slickly.

"Yes, and if you don't mind I'd like to get back to him." Sam started as walked a little further into the garden, reaching out to pick a pink flower from a nearby bush.

Bertrand shook his head. "That's not what I meant and you know it." Sam narrowed her eyes at Bertrand then looked up at the window and saw Danny watching. She couldn't suppress the small smile which crept across her face. Danny put one hand on the window and she winked at him before turning back to Bertrand.

"What do you think Jean Paul would say if he knew you were carrying on with Danny like you are?" Bertrand scolded.

Sam closed her eyes and sucked in an angry breath. "I don't think he's in a position to object, do you?"

"It's not even been four months and your married to someone else…That's despicable Sam." Bertrand said acidly. "Have you no decency? Have you no heart? Have you no shame?"

"You better get your facts straight before you try to put me on a guilt trip!" Sam replied angrily. "I'm under no obligation to mourn for Jean Paul considering what he did behind my back and you have no right to make me feel guilty!"

"I'm just pointing out the truth," Bertrand taunted. "You're a shallow little witch." Sam reached out and slapped Bertrand across the face and ran. She tried not to let the tears fall as she took the steps two at a time, but the tears were already running down her cheeks.

She threw the door to the bedroom open, slammed the door behind her then collapsed on the bed, burying her head in the pillows as she sobbed.

Danny walked into the room and paused as he looked at her. He considered leaving the room, but stepped forward instead.

"Sam?" he asked. "Are you all right?"

"Do I look like I'm all right?" came her muffled response.

Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "No."

"Then that answers your question, doesn't it?" Sam asked as she lifted her head to look at him. Danny shrugged his shoulders then walked forward slowly. He sat on the edge of the bed and put his hand on her back.

"What did Bertrand say?" he asked, knowing that Sam wasn't going to confide in him.

"Nothing I want to talk about," Sam answered wiping the tears from her eyes as she sat up, moving away from Danny's touch in the process. He watched as she walked into the bathroom then waited patiently as she returned, her face scrubbed clean of tears.

"What did Spectra say?" she asked as she sat by Danny and leaned against him.

"Nothing important," he answered as he put his arm around her. "Just that she knows we're not really you know…you know?"

"What?" Sam asked tiredly. "We're not what?"

"In love," Danny answered shyly.

"Oh," Sam said. "Great." She sighed heavily as she closed her eyes.

"But it's going to be okay," Danny started. "We'll just carry on like we have been and soon she'll accept it."

Sam closed her eyes tight. "I can't do this Danny. I can't keep carrying on like this. I can't. We have to find some other way of dealing with this farce."

"Why?" Danny asked in bewilderment, not completely understanding what Sam was trying to tell him.

Sam covered her face with her hands to hide the anguish on her face "It's making me sick, Danny. I miss Jean Paul. I hate Jean Paul. It's tearing me up inside. I loved him so much and now he's gone and I'm supposed to pretend I love you, like he meant nothing to me. I can't do it." She took several deep calming breaths then looked at Danny.

Danny resisted the urge to reach out to her. Instead he took a deep breath. "Do you want out?" he asked worriedly.

"No," Sam replied and Danny relaxed slightly. He was hurting to. Listening to Sam cry for another man made his heart felt like it was being torn to shreds. "We just need to find away around all this kissing and teasing and touching when we're out there," she finished as she wiped the tears from her face.

Danny swallowed hard and closed his eyes. "I'll call Tucker or Jazz," he told her softly. "We can use them as a buffer, but…but we still have to seem like we're in love Sam, and..and we have to, I don't know, kick it up a notch to convince Spectra. She holds the money and won't release a penny until she's convinced we're really in love.

"Merde!" Sam spat in disgust. "Je n'y crois pas!"

Danny looked at Sam thoughtfully, suddenly feeling slightly angry at her. She obviously thought being close to him was intolerable, it hurt. "You know," he said sharply. "I wish you wouldn't do that!"

"Sorry," Sam said,but didn't offer a translation as she laid back and continued to take deep calming breaths.

Danny watched her as she lay there. He hated Spectra, she'd walked in and ruined everything. He was sure that Sam was starting to share his feelings, she seemed so happy, so relaxed except for the nightmares. Danny sighed deeply what could he do?

Sam's steady breathing told him that she was asleep, so he moved her to a more comfortable spot on the bed, stopping as he lay beside her. He gently shifted a little more so that they were in a more comfortable position, wrapped his arms around her, closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep too.

* * *

_Sam was standing at the sink washing dishes when a pair of arms came around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. She smiled as she turned in those arms and smiled up at her husband. "Our anniversary is in four days," he said to her as his eyes sparkled happily._

"I know," Sam laughed as he kissed her nose. "I haven't forgotten."

"But you haven't asked me what I want!" Jean Paul pouted playfully and Sam shook her head.

"You haven't asked me what I want, why should I ask you?" Sam told him sweetly.

"Because you are going to love my gift almost as much as you love me," Jean Paul told her as he kissed her cheek.

"All right," Sam said as she leaned into his kiss. "What do you want for our anniversary?"

"I want a child with you," he said and Sam frowned. They'd been over this a million times.

"I'm not ready for children yet," she told him coolly. He smiled at her lovingly then pulled her into the living room and sat her down on the couch.

"The baby wouldn't be for you," he teased. "It would be for me. A son maybe with your beautiful lavender eyes and black hair."

"Or a girl," Sam pointed out. "It could be a girl."

"And she will be just as beautiful as you," Jean Paul said as he knelt before her. "Just imagine it, ma Cherie. A little bit of you and a little bit of me all bundled up in one person. Then we'd always be a part of each other."

Sam took a deep breath. "I'm not ready Jean Paul. I told you before we were married that I didn't think I wanted children."

"But you said you might change your mind. I'm ready to be a father."

"I'm not ready to be a mother."

"Please, Sam," Jean Paul begged. "I want children with you so desperately."

Sam took a deep breath and shook her head. "I don't know. Let me think about it."

"Okay," Jean Paul laughed happily as he kissed her then sat down with her on the couch and cuddle her close.

The dream faded out and suddenly she was standing in the halls of Casper High, standing beside Danny and Tucker. It was their senior year in high school. They were looking forward to graduation, college, the future.

"I've decided," Danny said as he leaned against the lockers. "That I'm going to ask Valerie to the prom." Sam's heart clinched in her chest and she wanted to yell at Tucker for looking at her like he expected her to either burst into tears or start yelling.

"When did you decide this?" Sam asked shortly.

"Last night," Danny replied. "I decided last night. I'm going to ask Valerie out and to heck with all the ghost hunting stuff. I like her and maybe she'll end up liking me enough that we can find away to make it work."

"Dude," Tucker said. "You're playing with fire." He shot a quick look at Sam. "Besides I-I though you and Sam were going together." Sam gave Tucker an angry look and Danny blinked at Sam.

"But we're just friends," Danny told Tucker. "Sam understands. Right Sam?"

"Yeah," Sam said as if she didn't care. "Whatever."

"See," Danny said. "It's no big deal."

Sam told her friends that she needed to use the ladies and she ushered herself into the bathroom where she broke down in tears.

Suddenly the dream changed and she was wrapped in Danny's arms, he was telling her he loved her. She wanted to scream at him that it was too late, he was too late, he'd had his chance and he lost it. She belonged to someone else now. She didn't want to love him. She wanted to run.  
  
Sam opened her eyes slowly feeling extremely disoriented, someone was holding her, snoring lightly as they spooned against her back. She swallowed hard, knowing it was Danny. She resisted the urge to elbow him in the stomach, wake him up, ask him what he was doing, but then she decided it was probably all innocent. He was just trying to comfort her, that was all.

She slipped out of his arms and looked at him a moment. He looked the same as always, perfectly tousled black hair, sweet innocent expression on his face, twitching slightly as he dreamed. He was still the Danny she remembered, goofy, clueless, but just a little older. Her heart clinched in her chest and she wanted to cry.

"I'm sorry," she said softly as she moved the hair from his face. "I don't think I can ever love you again, Danny. It just hurts too much." She sighed then gathered her things together and went to take a long hot bath.

--

**French Translations:**

Stop smothering me!

Shit! I don't believe it!


	9. Chapter 9

**The following chapter (at the end) contains items of questionable content. I'm not sure if it's precisely T rated. It's heavily edited, but still semi-limish, it's no different then something you'd perhaps see on television. I only left things as they are because it has relevance to the plot. I want this story to remain T.**

Fun Fact: I USED to have a M version of this chapter over on my DA account. It was my most viewed deviation for some strange reason. Oh..don't go bother looking for it now. There is no Danny Phantom on my DA account.  


Chapter Nine

Tucker sighed as he stood at the door Danny and Sam's mansion and waited for someone to answer the bell. He was not expecting Sam to open the door and attack in him a fierce hug.

"Tuck!" Sam cried as she nearly knocked him over. "I'm so glad you're here! Thank you! For coming!"

"Err, okay," Tucker said warily as he followed Sam inside leaving his bags on the doorstep.

"I've missed you so much," she told him as she put her arm in his and Tucker laughed. Danny was sitting in what looked to be a large stuffy and dark living room flicking the channels on a large plasma television and looking bored. He perked up when Tucker entered the room.

"I guess you guys are glad I came to save you huh?" Tucker asked as he sat down. He smiled wryly as Sam cuddled up next to Danny on the couch. Danny and put his arm around her and gave her a look of complete and utter adoration.

"Of course we are," Danny said, his facial expression not conveying the same message as his words as he rubbed lazy circles on Sam's arm. Tucker sighed then put his feet up on the coffee table; he paused a minute and took his feet off.

"It's okay to relax," Sam said then laughed. "Vlad's not here to object. We rather enjoy being rude in Vlad's house."

Tucker laughed too and put his feet back up on the coffee table. "I liked the black and silver theme outside. Whose brilliant idea was that?"

"Mine," Sam admitted as she turned for Danny to kiss her cheek, she smiled into his eyes and he ruffled her hair. Tucker bit his tongue it was hard not to say anything, hard not to tease them. He understood he was there to play chaperone and he wondered, if they couldn't keep their hands off each other with him sitting in the room, what was they were like before.

"We need your computer expertise," Danny said after a long lapse of silence. "I can't hack into Vlad's computer."

"Oh so that's what I'm here for," Tucker said slowly as he met Sam's eyes. "I thought it was for something else." Danny blushed and Sam just looked at Tucker blankly.

"Do you think we can crack into the lab or do you want to wait?" Tucker asked.

"I think it's best to wait for now," Danny answered as he turned off the television.

"There are a lot of other things to explore," Sam told Tucker excitedly. "This place is huge and well we haven't done a lot of looking around." She blushed slightly as she sent a sideways glance to Danny who laughed in response.

"What you need me here for? To dig through papers and rooms?" Tucker teased.

"Yes," Sam told him happily. "We do." Danny gave Tucker a cryptic look the techno geek was loath to interpret, but figured what Danny really wanted was for Tucker to leave.

"You both are aware I can only stay the weekend, right? Then you're going to be on your own again." Tuck told them worriedly.

Sam paled slightly. "But you can come the next weekend right? Every weekend?"

"I can try," Tucker said as he scanned her face worriedly. "But I'm working on a deadline Sam. I have to have the coding for the new game out in time for the company's promotion." He paused and sighed as her expression fell. "But, I suppose I can work here as well as at home"

"Jazz is coming on Monday," Danny began softly, not looking at Sam who closed her eyes and groaned. "She can stay the week." Sam groaned louder and Tucker laughed.

"I hope you're looking forward to having your head shrunk," Tucker told Sam, "She's been frothing at the mouth to get at you.

"You've been talking to Jazz?" Danny asked. Tucker ignored the question as he looked at Sam who was smirking slightly.

"While she's here," Sam said to Danny as she looked at him evilly. "I want you to lock me up in the attic."

Danny smiled. "Lock you up and have my way with you?" he teased.

Tucker's eyes went wide and Sam laughed. "I'd say yes, but I'm afraid we'd have witnesses, Darling."

Sam's voice lowered a little and she said, "Maybe I'd like that."

Tucker covered his face with his hands. "Oh man. I'm going to have nightmares about this." Both Sam and Danny laughed.

"This, is going to be just like old times," Sam said happily, her face reflecting genuine emotion. Tucker laughed and Danny pulled her closer.

* * *

"You and Sam seem to be getting along really well," Tucker said to Danny as he sat down at Vlad's laptop and flexed his fingers.

Danny shrugged his shoulders. "She won't talk to me about anything important," Danny told Tucker softly. "She doesn't trust me."

Tucker sighed as he began typing on the computer. "Has she told you anything about the last four years?"

"Not really," Danny answered as he traced the wood desk top with his finger tip. "She just avoids the subject. Has she said anything to you?"

"A little," Tucker admitted. "Nothing I can go into detail about." Danny groaned and put his head down on the desk and Tucker looked at him worriedly.

"You can't help someone who doesn't want to be helped," Tucker began in a consoling voice. "You can't put Sam back together, she changed. She's different."

Danny shook his head. "She still Sam. Our Sam. She was gone four years not four decades."

"Four very crucial years," Tucker added. "We're adults now Danny, not little kids. She's been married. Lived on her own. Faced life."

"And I haven't I know." Danny growled as he paced across the room. "I just…I just love her Tuck. I love her so much it hurts. I want to reach out to her. I want to be there for her."

Tucker shook his head then smiled slightly as he opened up several files on the computer. "There you go," Tucker said as he rolled back in his chair. "One hacked laptop." Both friends smiled then stepped back as the screen changed and an image of Vlad appeared.

"Hello Daniel," Vlad said as he adjusted the camera. He smiled wryly. "The only way you will be viewing this video is in the event of my passing." The villain straightened his suit and took a deep breath. Danny and Tucker looked at each other then moved closer to the screen.

"I've been aware of sometime of my failing health," Vlad said then coughed weakly.

"Oh please," Danny laughed. Tucker raised his eyebrows.

"Therefore, I have been forced to put my affairs in order and in so doing I have decided to put your affairs in order as well," Vlad smiled smugly. "Those affairs being the two women in your life. Samantha Manson and Valerie Grey."

Tucker snorted. "I would never have pegged Vlad as a romantic."

"I have been aware of your love life for some time, Daniel. I have been watching over you as if you were my own son, and I have been concerned for you," Vlad continued. He smiled an irritating condescending smile that made Danny seethe with the need to punch the smirk from the man's face.

"Get real," Danny growled

"After all, now that I am faced with my mortality. I am left to wonder and worry over what will become of you." Vlad's mask of concern slipped and both Danny and Tucker shuddered as the observed the evil beneath.

"I have spent a goodly portion of my life in agony, knowing that the only woman I could ever love, belongs to another man," Vlad continued. "I did try to accept other companionship, but that I would does not mean that I could love anyone other than your mother. I lost Maddie and was left with nothing to warm the coldness of my heart. It's ironic, perhaps if she had chosen better my life would not be like a ticking time bomb."

"Or maybe you could have just gotten a cat," Danny yelled. "And stopped obsessing over a woman who hates you."

"I am aware of the events which took your Samantha from you," Vlad continued a pleased smile growing on his face. "I know you still love her, you even dream of her. You have settled for a sweet but tepid relationship with Ms. Grey, lovely creature that she is, and up until you learned of the terms of my will, you have been fairly content, if not weighed down by the burdens your family has placed on your shoulders."

You are also aware by now, that Samantha is very happily married to another man and she will never be yours, and soon all your relationships will be faltering." Vlad paused and looked as if he was ready to rub his hands together in glee.

"Wrong," Danny growled feeling sick to his stomach yet pleased that at least one aspect of Vlad's plan had failed.

"Knowing of my imminent demise I have prepared a few videos to entertain you. They will be made available to you at a later date. For now I want you to process everything I have to say."

"Joy," Danny said as he shook his head and looked at Tucker. "I don't want to listen to anymore of this Tuck."

"I advise you to listen, Daniel," Vlad continued as if he knew this was the moment Danny would chose to walk away. "Ms. Gray has served me well, sometimes unwittingly and sometimes willingly. Your happy association will not continue long."

"Well I guess he was right about that," Danny laughed nervously.

"Perhaps it will speed things along to tell you how often in the past Mr. Foley has held Ms. Grey in his arms and his bed." Vlad continued. He seemed to change his focus from Danny to Tucker. "Isn't that right, Tucker?" Tucker closed his eyes and Danny looked at his best friend in bewilderment.

"And Ms. Grey will attest to the tasks I have given her, though she has surly loved you these few years, there is something she values much more than your companionship which I shall make available to her so that, you Daniel, will be left alone. You will not have Samantha, she belongs to another. You will not have your friend Tucker, because he has betrayed you and you will not have Valerie. In essence Daniel. You will become me." Vlad laughed and Danny slammed the laptop shut.

Tucker said nothing as he stared at the closed device. He didn't move as Danny paced angrily behind him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and waited, wondering how long it would take for Danny to process everything Vlad had told him.

Danny stopped pacing and stood beside Tucker, who looked up at his friend warily. Danny wasn't looking at him but was staring straight ahead.

"You slept with Valerie?" Danny asked shortly.

Tucker cleared his throat. "No," he denied then dropped his shoulders in defeat. "Well almost." Danny shut his eyes and took a deep breath.

"When," Danny asked softly. As he turned and leaned against the desk.

Tucker shook his head. "It wasn't…wasn't like she was cheating on you or anything," he answered sadly.

"When," Danny repeated the question.

"The first time when you broke up with her after Sam left," Tucker replied "She thought things were over between you. I thought things were over between you. I seriously thought you were going to find and bring Sam home and," Tucker paused.

"And then?" Danny asked coolly.

"That time you had that fight about ghost hunting and giving it up," Tucker answered. "You were broken up again and she came to me. It was mostly kissing, nothing happened, I swear."

Danny rubbed his face with one hand. "I'm not mad at you, Tuck," he said tiredly. "I'm really not. I think maybe I understand."

"It's no excuse," Tucker told Danny sadly. "I could have said no."

Danny laughed almost bitterly as he shook his head. "No one says no to Valerie."

"I did," Tucker began as he looked at Vlad's laptop. "I can't say I wanted to say no, but I did. Kissing her was bad enough. I…I'm sorry Danny."

Danny put his hand on Tucker's shoulder. "I forgive you," he said sincerly. "I don't know why, but it doesn't bother me as much as it should. Maybe it's because I love Sam. I don't know. It's kind of a relief knowing that Valerie wasn't completely honest in the relationship. I guess I kinda need time to let it all sink in."

Tucker looked up and met Danny's blue gaze. "You're my best friend, family, like my brother. It was wrong, but I can't explain why I did it. I can't say I wasn't thinking straight, because I knew what I was doing, I just, couldn't say no. She came to me crying and…well…."

Danny laughed bitterly. "Just, just tell me you and Sam have never…"

"Oh man no!" Tucker said as he put up his hands. "That would be so gross." Danny smiled slightly. Then looked at the laptop.

"Turn that thing off," he ordered bitterly. "I never want to open it again."

"You don't want to know what else Vlad has to say?" Tucker asked weakly.

"No," Danny growled as he walked out of the room. "You can throw it away. Crush it with a sledgehammer for all I care, and I hope Vlad is burning in hell."

Tucker looked at the laptop a moment. He ran his finger along the top again and took a deep breath before reopening the laptop. The screen sprung back to life and showed Vlad with a look which could be interpreted as glee on his face.

"I hope Danny's right," Tucker told Vlad. "I hope you're burning in hell." He paused a moment, looked over his shoulder and started the video up again. He wanted to know what else Vlad had up his sleeve. Tucker had learned a long time ago that Danny was as stubborn and as thick headed as Jack, especially where emotional issues were concerned. He would try to avoid the game Vlad was trying to play, but end up sucked in all the same.

"Forewarned is forearmed," Tucker said to himself. He felt bad for looking at the videos behind Danny's back, but the last thing Tucker felt like Danny and Sam needed were more nasty surprises from Vlad. He himself felt sick to his stomach. His liaisons with Valerie had been weighing on his heart for a long time, and he knew Danny meant it when he said he forgave him, but Tucker was scared Danny would never trust him again, that their friendship was damaged irreparably.

"Vlad," Tucker growled as he continued to hack into the system. He watched a few videos with a look of pure disgust on his face. "You are a sicko!" he declared as he began deleting files, because he knew Vlad knew Danny would be back. Tucker didn't want Danny to view the poison Vlad was spewing, and he doubly didn't want Sam to see, in fact, he didn't want to see himself.

Vlad, after discovering Sam and Jean Paul in France, had filmed them in various situations, some innocent and others not so innocent. Tucker shuddered as he erased video after video. He hoped that deleting the files would be sufficient, and he would do everything he could to keep them away from Danny and Sam, he promised, but deep down he was terrified these video's would come back to haunt them, they after all were the closest thing to Vlad's ghost, and Jean Paul's as well.

* * *

Jazz arrived later that afternoon. Danny wasn't sure if he was relieved at his sister's presence or if he was irritated. She took one look at him and exclaimed that he wasn't getting sleep.

"I know you don't feel like you need to rest," Jazz lectured. "But your body is reflecting something different." She dropped her bags on the porch then hugged her brother.

"It's not about a lack of sleep," Danny told her as he returned her embrace. "It has more to do with this situation. With the game Vlad is trying to play. With worrying about Sam. With learning something about Tucker…"

"Tucker?" Jazz asked her eyes going wide as she made and effort to look past Danny's shoulder. "He's here? What have you learned?"

"Yes he's here," Danny answered as he eyed his sister's eager reaction. "Why should it matter to you?"

Jazz laughed nervously. "It doesn't matter to me in the least. I just don't want things to be too crowded for you and Sam. I can leave…"

"Jazz," Danny said then took a deep breath. "This is a mansion. I don't think we'll be too crowded."

Jazz sighed deeply. "Well I guess Tucker and I won't have to share a room then." She shook her head and laughed. "Too bad."

"What?" Danny asked as he wrinkled his face as his sister.

"I was just being funny," Jazz told him with a straight face. "Lighten up Danny."

"Then don't try to fill my head with gross mental images of you and Tucker together," Danny warned. "That's just sick Jazz."

Jazz smiled wickedly at her brother then cleared her throat and said. "Where's my patient?"

"She's in the conservatory," Danny said as he beckoned Jazz to follow him.

"And Tuck?" Jazz asked as she grimaced at the stuffy stark darkness of Vlad's home.

"Sleeping," Danny answered as he opened the door to a sunlit, plant filled room.

Sam was found sitting in a chair denuding a pot of petunias, she looked up at Jazz and Danny and groaned.

"My worst nightmare," she said teasingly.

"My favorite patient," Jazz laughed as she sat in the chair next to Sam then looked at Danny.

"What?" Danny asked as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Shoo," Jazz ordered as she wiggled her fingers at Danny. "Go take a nap or something."

Danny gave Sam a questioning look and she smiled. "It's all right Danny. I'm fine."

"Okay," Danny sighed. He looked from Sam to Jazz then turned and left the room. Danny's ghost sense went off immediately and he looked down the hall and saw Penelope Spectra standing against the wall with her arms across her chest.

"Bringing in another doctor behind my back are we?" Penelope asked coolly.

"Jazz isn't a doctor," Danny answered shortly. Spectra rolled her eyes and followed Danny down the hall and into the living room. He sat down and turned on the television, ignoring the ghost as she kicked of her shoes, sat down and curled her legs beneath her on the couch.

"You are seeking a sort of therapy for Sam," Spectra said happily. "That's really sweet. Looking for ways to patch her up? You must really love her, Danny."

"I'm not talking with you about this," Danny growled as he flicked through the channels.

"It's a pity she can't be fixed. Her husband was everything you never were to her. Completely and utterly devoted." Spectra continued.

"Yeah," Danny said as he leveled a cold blue gaze at Spectra. "So devoted that he cheated on her."

"Ah!" Spectra said as she held up one finger. "She didn't know that until after he died. While they were married Jean Paul was very attentive. He worshiped the ground she walked on. He did special little things for her and she always knew he loved her. She never once doubted his commitment to her."

"Woo hoo for JP," Danny said sarcastically. "Give the bastard a prize."

"Jealous are we?" Spectra asked as she blinked at Danny slowly. Danny said nothing as he continued flipping through the television channels.

"You need to give up this pretense, Danny." Spectra said forcefully. "If you really loved Sam you wouldn't put her through this."

"She's happy with me," Danny stated calmly. "We're happy together. Our marriage is real. We love each other."

"You love her!" Spectra laughed coldly. "But she will never, ever love you. Not unless you do something to remove Jean Paul from her heart. Maybe you need to do things cave man style, overwhelm her, take her over, leave no doubt in her mind that she is yours, and yours alone." Danny looked at Spectra thoughtfully then took a deep breath and resumed changing the channels.

"As it is," Spectra continued in a bored voice. "I'm not convinced the relationship between you and your wife is real. Too bad really, I hear that the bank is about to foreclose on your parent's house."

Danny's hand clinched tightly on the remote. "What will it take to convince you Spectra?" he asked. "What more can we do?"

Spectra tilted her head and watch Danny for a moment. "Maybe a simple and truthful declaration of love from your wife is all I need. I have seen her return your affection genuinely but I haven't heard any confessions of love."

Danny gave her a tired look. "You're holding back the estate because you want Sam to tell me she loves me?"

"Maybe that's all I need, Danny," she said as she faded away like fog in sunlight. Danny tilted his head back on the couch and groaned.

* * *

"Still having nightmares?" Jazz asked as she examined Sam's pale face as she continued to work in the garden

"I'm getting used to them," Sam answered stiffly. "They're not really nightmares. It's not so bad."

Jazz sat back in her seat and watched for awhile as Sam picked the dead petunias off the plant on the table before her. "Tell me more about Jean Paul. Tell me about your relationship."

Sam shrugged one shoulder. "He was sweet."

"How old was he?" Jazz questioned. "I've having trouble picturing him. Was he older than you?"

"Seven years," Sam answered. "He was seven years older than me." Jazz nodded her head and Sam looked at her.

"How did you meet?"

"I was working in an antique shop. He would come in looking for certain pieces for clients," Sam answered. "We hit it off. He offered to help me with my French and it all started from there."

"So was it a romance right away?"

"No," Sam replied as she shook her head. "I told him I wasn't interested in a relationship. I ended up telling him all about Danny."

"All?" Jazz asked as she raised her eyebrows in shock.

Sam smiled. "Well not everything, but how he broke my heart. How much I loved him…" Sam closed her eyes. "I loved Danny, or at least thought I did, so much that I didn't want anyone else in my heart."

"So Jean Paul understood?"

"He said he did," Sam answered as she looked at the dead purple petunia blossom curled up in the palm of her hand. "But in the long run he didn't. We went out for a few months before things turned serious. He was overwhelmingly romantic. He told me he was going to show me such love that I wouldn't even remember Danny's name. It sounded good to me."

"So then what? You got married? You were happy? He cheated on you?"

Sam gave Jazz an exasperated look. "So then we dated. He was extremely possessive of me. He hated it when other men talked to me. He hated talk of Danny. He was constantly worried that I'd go back to America. I was happy though, it was good have someone's attention and I grew to love him. He was sweet, funny and sometimes he reminded me of Danny, though if I told him that it would have been a huge fight."

"Possessiveness isn't healthy," Jazz told Sam who only nodded in response. "Was he controlling?"

"Not at first," Sam said as tears filled her eyes. "After we were first married things were fine. Our lives revolved around each other, but." Sam shrugged as she wiped a tear from her eye. "He didn't leave me any room in my life for anything but him."

"He made you dependant on him?" Jazz questioned. She shook her head in disbelief.

"I was tired," Sam defended. "I didn't want to fight him. I didn't want to think of my life before, with my parents trying to control my every action and thoughts, Danny unable to love me like I loved him. I was a stupid kid. I let him take over."

Jazz put her hand on Sam's arm. "Do you still love Danny?"

"I don't know," Sam answered tiredly. "I think I'm afraid to. How can I go from loving Danny to loving Jean Paul then back to loving Danny just like that?"

"Well," Jazz began. "Maybe you never stopped loving Danny so you're not just dropping Jean Paul out of your heart. He was a different part of your life."

"Maybe," Sam replied sadly.

"And even then," Jazz continued. "Your relationship with Jean Paul, doesn't sound like it was healthy."

"It didn't seem unhealthy," Sam said as she picked more dead flowers from the plant. "As far as I knew, everything was normal."

"Did he ever make you feel unsafe? Did he hit you? Threaten you? Anything?" Jazz asked worriedly as she continued to watch Sam's body language.

"No," Sam said then paused. "During our worst fights he'd threaten to kick me out, but that was bad enough. I had no where to go and he controlled the money, so I had nothing. He made me account for everything I spent and all my time."

"Oh Sam," Jazz sighed. "He sounds so creepy and abusive. You are lucky to be away from him…."

Sam closed her eyes. "It doesn't change the fact that I loved him, Jazz. I did love him you know." She tore at the dead flower in her hand angrily, making her agitation obvious to Jazz.

"Okay," Jazz said softly. "And it's okay and good that you loved him. I'm glad you did."

"And I could have left if I wanted to," Sam continued, her voice growing strong. "You know I'm not weak and stupid."

"I know," Jazz agreed as she nodded her head.

"And things were good most of the time, and when they were good, they were phenomenally good."

"I'm glad," Jazz replied as she continued to watch Sam's face.

Sam's strong expression saddened. "But then he died." She paused for a moment. "And I wanted to die too. I got through some how and then.." She stopped.

"And then you found out he wasn't faithful," Jazz said for her. Sam nodded her head.

"I'm so sorry," Jazz said softly. "And all this drama with Danny is just too soon."

"Yeah," Sam agreed as she picked at her fingers since there was no more flower in her hand to pick at. "It is. But…but that doesn't mean I don't care for Danny. I wouldn't have agreed to all of this if I didn't care for him. I just don't think I could go through the agony of loving someone, him and losing him again."

Jazz nodded her head and sighed deeply. "It's a shame that you and Danny could never get things straight between each other. You were always doing this dance. He loves you, you love him, you're both scared. You love him so much that you push him away, he thinks you don't love him, so he distances himself. From all I observed as we grew up, it was always that way."

Sam shrugged her shoulders and announced almost bitterly, "And he liked Valerie more than me. He liked Paulina more than me. He liked everyone more than me."

"He loved you more than anyone," Jazz corrected. "He was just so terrified that you would figure out how much you meant to him and hate him for it that he focused his feelings elsewhere."

"That is so messed up," Sam sighed as she looked up and met Jazz's turquoise gaze.

"Yeah well, he's my father's son, what did you expect brilliance?" Jazz asked dryly. Sam chuckled slightly and shrugged her shoulders.

"So," Jazz began. "We know what happened after you left. Life went on, but did you know how Danny…how we, figured out you were gone?"

"I guess everyone started missing me, then went looking for me and my parents told them I was gone," Sam said flatly.

"Well it was kind of like that," Jazz agreed. "Danny came home after your big revelation. He ended up talking to me. He told me that he was just so overwhelmed by your confession it was instinctive to run."

"Yeah in terror," Sam replied sourly.

"He wasn't afraid of you, Sam," Jazz continued. "He was afraid of his feelings. It's not typical for people to meet the love of their life in high school. He was afraid of missing out on things, of you missing out on things. He was afraid of his feelings for you because he thought they were deeper than they should be."

Sam opened her mouth. "I-I think you're making this up," she started her eyes filling with fear.

Jazz shook her head in denial. "It took Danny a couple of days to come to terms with things. He's slow like that."

"Clueless," Sam said softly and Jazz nodded her head. She kept her eyes trained on Sam's face.

"He gathered up the courage to go back to your house to tell you that he loved you too," Jazz told Sam slowly watching the look of disbelief washing across Sam's face. "He went to Skulk and Lurk, bought a dozen of those weird black chocolate roses, then went to your house and…" Jazz shrugged.

Sam's stomach twisted and she took a deep breath and bent forward. "And I was gone."

"You were just as stupid as he was," Jazz scolded. "He ran off like an idiot and you ran off like a stupid little girl who couldn't have her way, and as a result you both missed out." Sam's eyes shot to meet Jazz's.

"And now you're both fortunate to have another chance with each other Sam," Jazz continued. "I know you've been hurt. I know you're still mourning your first husband. But Danny is here and he loves you. He's always loved you. Give him a chance. Don't let it pass you by this time."

Sam stood and walked around the room. "I can't Jazz…" She paced a moment then ran from the room. Jazz took a deep breath then picked a dead petunia from the plant Sam had been working on. She shook her head and sat back, hoping that she hadn't done more harm than good.

* * *

_"Just try it," Jean Paul insisted as he held out a cracker with some sort of brown paste smeared across it. She had just turned her head away and told him it looked like something that came out of a monkey's butt. Jean Paul had chuckled and placed a bit of the paste on a cracker._

"Sam, the world is a wondrous place, full of wonderful experiences," Jean Paul told her gently. "If you turn away from them, then you turn away from life."

"It's not meat of any kind is it?" Sam asked. Jean Paul sighed. They'd had quiet a few disagreements about her insistence on living a vegan lifestyle. Sam refused to eat anything with products harvested from an animal. Jean Paul was frustrated because that limited what he called Sam's palate.

"Why does it matter?" Jean Paul asked as he continued to hold the cracker up to Sam's face.

"Because it matters to me," Sam told him angrily. "It's a matter of ethics of principal!"

"It's insanity!" Jean Paul declared.

"It's my way of life!" Sam replied.

Jean Paul sighed and looked at the cracker. "But Sam, Sam I love you. I want to share everything I love with you. I brought this wonderful dinner home for us to share. Can't you just give it a try for me?" His expression fell into a look of profound sadness. "You don't love me…do you?"

"I do love you," Sam told him. "If you loved me you wouldn't ask this of me!"

"It's nothing bad Sam. Really. It's quite good. Just try a little. For me." Jean Paul begged.

"If I try it," Sam began knowing he wasn't going to let the subject drop. "And I hate it, will you promise never to ask me to try something I don't want again?"

"Only if you're honest about not liking it," Jean Paul said happily. Sam opened her mouth and Jean Paul fed her the cracker.

Sam chewed a moment, grimacing slightly as her stomach rebelled against the flavor of animal flesh in her mouth. She resisted the urge to spit it out and swallowed, grabbing a glass of water and drinking it down quickly to keep herself from throwing up.

"There," she said as she struggled to keep the food down. "I tried it."

"Well?" Jean Paul asked excitedly and Sam gave him an incredulous look.

"That was one of the single most disgusting things I've ever eaten in my life," she answered. "What was it?"

"Foie gras," Jean Paul told her happily and Sam's eyes widened.

"No!" she said in horror as she clasped her hands to her throat.

"Yes!" Jean Paul said in triumph. "Don't deny it. You liked it right?" He paused as Sam went green and then she ran. Jean Paul followed her to the bathroom, held her hair while she lost the contents of her stomach then sighed in exasperation as she yelled at him.

"Do you know how they make foie gras?" she asked angrily. "You know how I feel about animal rights and you feed me foie gras?"

Jean Paul rolled his eyes as he wiped Sam's mouth with a tissue. "You're so touchy, Sam. It's was just a little pate. All the animals in the world aren't going to roll over and die just because you ate a little pate." Sam speared him with an angry look as she brushed her teeth.

"That's not the point," Sam growled as she tried to push past Jean Paul when she was finished brushing her teeth, but he wouldn't let her go.

"I'm sorry," Jean Paul apologized as he stood in front of her holding her by the arms as she turned her head and looked away. "It was stupid of me. I should have been more thoughtful."

"You're a jerk!" Sam yelled then sighed as Jean Paul hung his head.

"I'm an innocent jerk," he said softly as he touched her cheek. "I'm sorry." He looked up at her with an expression that reminded her so much of Danny that it made her stomach, which was already sore, do a triple flip and she had to force herself to breathe.

"I promise, I promise, promise I will never do anything like that again," he told her, the image and memory of Danny still haunting her. He moved to kiss her, sending even more fluttering sensations through her stomach as he caressed the skin on her sides softly. "You are the love of my life."

Sam jolted awake and gasped then realized someone was holding her. In the haze of her dream she wasn't sure whose arms she was in, but at the moment she didn't care she just needed comfort. She turned in Danny's embrace, keeping her eyes shut and her mind in a sleep induced haze trying to let herself fall back into her dream.

Danny opened his eyes sleepily as Sam turned in his arms. He froze as she wrapped her arms around him, hooking one leg over his hip and moving so close that her breath was fanning his skin. He closed his eye a moment and waited. Was she dreaming? She had avoided him all evening. They hadn't talked since Jazz arrived. She was asleep when he came to bed.

The warmth of her body pressed up against him so close was going to drive him insane. He needed to move or he'd ruin everything, because there was no way he could be responsible for his actions if things kept up as they were, but then Sam's hand slipped beneath his nightshirt and her lips pressed against the erratically beating pulse on his neck and Danny was lost.

"Sam," he whispered softly as he lifted her face to his. "Are you sleeping?"

"Tu me manques. Ne partez pas de nouveau," She answered her lips less than half an inch from his. He shivered and closed his eyes. She was speaking to him in French again and he hated it.

"What did you say?" he asked as he swallowed hard. Sam moved to kiss him, her eyes still closed but he moved away. He had to know what she said.

"I miss you," came her hoarse answer. "Don't leave again." The corners of her mouth curled into a lazy smile as she feathered her fingers along his skin. Danny swallowed hard and put his forehead against hers.

"Wake up," he said in a tortured groan. "You don't know what you're doing." Her fingers continued their dance across his sides and along his stomach.

"Sam," he begged as she moved so she could kiss his mouth, sliding her tongue past his lips, making him want to die right then and there. He knew he had to wake her up, but in a moment, he just needed a moment longer. She'd never kissed him before, he'd always made the first move, and it was so difficult to fight the pleasure of holding her, he'd waited for so long, for an impossibly long time. He told himself it wouldn't hurt to just kiss her, they'd kissed a dozen times now, so often it was almost innocent, only it wasn't this time at all.

"Je tu veux, Mon amour," she told him as she broke the kiss. Her eyes opened sleepily and she smiled at him tenderly.

"You're awake?" he asked in bewilderment. Sam only smiled and kissed him again. His heart was thumping wildly against his ribs as he moved his hand up her arm, giving in to the glory of her lips against his.

"Sam," he sighed into her mouth then groaned as he sucked her tongue into his mouth and kissed her with delirious passion.

"Aimez-moi," she said as she told him.

"Sam," he whispered breathlessly against her collar bone.

"Yes?" She asked hoarsely.

"Are you awake?" He questioned as he waited for her to push him away, desperately needing her to be awake.

"Yes," she answered as she pressed herself closer to him. She knew what she was doing. Well, no at first she didn't at first she was surprised to find herself in his arms, kissing him and touching him in ways she'd only dreamed of but never thought should happen, and she only had a vague notion of how she came to find herself in Danny's arms. She gave herself to him with abandon, not caring about anything but wanting him..

* * *

"Je t'aime, Danny," she whispered softly as he pulled away and looked into her eyes, both of them breathing heavily from the aftermath of their passion..

"Sam," he whispered as he drew a shaky breath. "Don't talk to me in French, please." Sam nodded her head as she caressed his cheek then pulled him down so she could kiss him.

"Thank you," she told him.

"For what?" Danny asked, trying not to sound angry. She made it sound like he'd done her a favor. She shook her head unable to answer.

"I'll be right back," she told him as she extracted herself from his arms, made her way to the bathroom.

Danny groaned in agony as the bathroom door clicked shut. "Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he told himself as he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. He should have been happy, ecstatic, overjoyed. She was his! They had made love. Isn't that what he ached for?

Unfortunately, he couldn't shake the feeling that she was thinking of Jean Paul the whole time. He felt sick from jealousy and tired and he wanted her back in his arms, but he heard the bath water running and he admitted to himself, that she hadn't really wanted him. After all, she couldn't wait to wash him from her.

"Sam," he cried in torment as he looked up at the ceiling. "I love you. I'll love you for the rest of my life." He considered going after her, but instead he found his clothes then changed to ghost mode. He sighed at the liberating feeling of the transformation, of not being earth bound. He looked at the bathroom door a moment then looked up and flew through the ceiling.

--

**  
French translations:**

I adore you.

I want you, my love.

Love me

I will love you all my life.  



	10. Chapter 10

Fun Fact: Out of all the DP fics I wrote, Unwilling is my favorite.

Chapter Ten

Sam sat alone at the breakfast table staring at the grapefruit glistening on the plate in front of her trying not to give into her darker thoughts. A woman who Danny told her was a ghost stood near by wanting to know if she required anything else to eat.

"I'm fine," Sam responded weakly. The woman departed and Sam continued to stare at the grapefruit. She had come out of the bathroom the night before with the intention of pulling Danny into the bath with her, and maybe talking. She knew they needed to talk, but she wanted to be close with him. Maybe the bath was a bad idea, but it seemed nice at the time. He disappeared and hadn't come back.

"You look troubled," a sympathetic Spectra said as she sat next to Sam at the table. "Perhaps you should talk to a trained psycho-therapist instead of that quack Danny calls his sister." She barred her teeth in something that looked more like a sneer than a smile.

"I don't want to talk to you," Sam said as she picked up her spoon and tapped the grapefruit.

"I know Danny spent all night outside of your room," Spectra sang in a teasing voice. "Did you have a fight?"

"It's not really your business," Sam told her as she contemplated flicking the cherry on her grapefruit, on to Spectra's face.

Spectra sighed in exasperation. "It really is my business. I have decisions to make."

"We didn't fight," Sam growled.

"Then why is it that Danny has just now returned to your room?" Spectra asked, causing Sam's head to shoot up and turn to look at her.

"He's back?" Sam asked her eyes going wide.

"Yes," Spectra said as she smiled evilly. "But he doesn't want to talk to you right now. He's tired and wounded. What ever did you do to him dear girl? The pain is just rolling off him in delicious waves."

"Nothing," Sam answered, suddenly feeling very dizzy. She leaned on her hand and closed her eyes.

"This must be very stressful for you," Spectra continued. "Knowing that he doesn't love you, that he only married you because he needed money."

"Shut up!" Sam yelled.

"But then he's rejected you before hasn't he Sam?"

"I said, shut up!" Sam repeated.

"And then your first husband. I hear he was unfaithful. It must leave you feeling very unlovable."

"Spectra!" a voice yelled. Both Sam and Spectra jumped then turned to look at an extremely furious Jazz Fenton standing in the doorway.

"Oh my!" Spectra said as she put her hand to her face in a dramatic pose. "If it isn't our dear little intern."

"Can it, Penelope," Jazz spat acidly as she walked into the room. She put her hands on Sam's shoulder and glared at the evil ghost.

"I'm consulting with my client," Spectra said dryly. "I would appreciate it if you didn't interfere."

"Sam," Jazz said as she bent down and looked into Sam's face. "Tucker is in the living room watching television, why don't you go sit with him for awhile?" She helped Sam stand then walked her out of the room, waiting a moment before turning on Spectra.

"I don't know what game you're playing at, but I'm not letting you get away with messing with my brother and….and his wife!" Jazz lifted her chin defiantly and Spectra threw back her head and laughed.

"How are you going to stop me?" Spectra asked as she talked down to Jazz. "You're not even a real doctor yet, and even then your study took place at a rinky dink city college. I graduated from Columbia University with full honors."

"Your training is irrelevant," Jazz said confidently as she smiled at Spectra. "The truth is I am a better psychologist than you will ever be, and you are jealous."

Spectra crossed her arms and glared at Jazz. "You're presence here is unnecessary."

"Stop trying to manipulate Danny and Sam," Jazz growled. "They love each other. It has taken them a lot of time and heartache to get where they are today, and they don't need you messing with their heads."

"Aww," Spectra said sweetly. "You make it sound so sweet and innocent!"

"Leave them alone," Jazz growled.

Spectra smiled evilly. "You are in no position to stop me Ms. Fol…I mean Fenton." Jazz narrowed her eyes at the ghost and walked around her for a minute.

"I have a Fenton thermos upstairs in my bag with your name on it, I suggest you lay off Danny and Sam."

"Oh I'm scared," Spectra fake pouted. "I'm afraid however that limiting my freedom will only serve to slow down the distribution of Vlad's estate." Jazz didn't look away from Spectra who took a step back.

"I'll return when you're not sticking your amateur nose into things," Spectra sighed then vanished. Jazz growled something nasty under her breath then turned to look for Sam, and find out how much damage had been done.

* * *

Tucker looked up from the program he was working on as Sam shuffled into the living room, then frowned as she sat down next to him and buried her face in his shoulder.

"Something happen?" Tucker asked as he put his arm around her. Sam nodded her head and Tucker closed the lap top.

"Yes," Sam told him. "But do you mind if I don't talk about it?" Tucker sighed deeply and moved Sam so he could look into her face.

"I'm not going to play quiet confidant anymore," Tucker told her gently. "I did that once and we lost you. So, yes I mind if you don't talk about it. What happened?"

Sam squeezed her eyes shut. She didn't want to tell Tucker what she'd done the night before. She was ashamed as it was and she was sure the reason Danny disappeared was because he was disgusted at her wanton display of passion.

"Sam," Tucker said as he jostled her shoulder. "Talk to me."

"I woke up last night," Sam started quietly. "From my usual dream, but Danny was holding me, so…so instead of crying I just…"

"You just?" Tucker prompted.

"I umm…" Sam blushed then rolled her eyes at Tuck. "I umm, Danny and I, we…"

"You?" Tucker asked as he tried to prod Sam to speak.

"You know," Sam said as she looked at her hands.

"No Sam," Tucker told her blankly. "I don't know. What are you talking about?"

Sam looked up at the ceiling. She frowned at the football patterns for a moment then sighed, "I practically raped him," she said softly. Tucker's eyes widened and Sam looked at him worriedly.

"You what?" Tucker asked in shock.

"Don't make me repeat it," Sam groaned.

"Okay," Tucker said, obviously stunned. "Okay. So you errr, umm did it."

"Yes," Sam answered.

"Then what happened? Did he yell at you? Danny loves you he would never…"

"He doesn't love me!" Sam protested. "How can you say that? He doesn't love me! How can he?" She leaned forward and put her face in her hands. "He thinks I'm disgusting."

"Did he tell you that?" Tucker asked in bewilderment.

"No," Sam answered tearfully. "But I went into the bathroom. I told him I'd be right back and when I opened the door, he was gone."

"Oh," Tucker said sadly. "I'm sorry Sam."

"I told him I loved him. I told him I'd love him forever, but I couldn't say it in English," Sam told Tucker.

"You said it all in French?" Tucker asked sadly. Sam nodded his head and he shook his.

"He hates me now," Sam said miserably. "He hates me and…and I-I hate me too."

Tucker half laughed. "I doubt Danny could ever hate you," Tucker told Sam as he pulled her into a hug.

"I don't know what to do. He's upstairs now. Asleep. I can't go disturb him and talk to him."

"Why don't you go um…umm….lie down next to him," Tucker suggested laughing as Sam gasped in horror.

"Come on Sam. One of you has to fight for this relationship, and you know it's not going to be Danny. He's too clueless."

"I can't be the one to put my heart on the line again!" Sam cried.

"Yes you can," Tucker told her as he stood and held out his hand. Sam gave him a questioning look and let him pull her off the couch.

"Jazz is right. You two have been dancing around each other too long. It's time to grab each other before it's too late." Tucker put his arm around Sam and walked with her upstairs. He stopped at the door to her room and looked at her.

"Sam," he started as he put a hand on either side of her shoulders. "I love you. I love Danny. You two of the most important people in the world to me. I need to see you happy. You belong together."

"I don't think I can do this," Sam whispered as she stared fearfully at the door.

"Sam," Tucker said forcefully. "Just do what you need to do. If things don't go the way I am positive they will, then I'll personally kill Danny for you. Okay?" She nodded her head then reached for the door knob.

"Thanks, Tuck," she said then entered the room.

* * *

Danny was laying on his stomach, sprawled across the bed in abandon, snoring slightly, fully clothed. It looked as if he was already asleep before he hit the bed, so much for not needing much sleep. Sam almost laughed.

Sam took a deep shaky breath as she stepped out of her shoes then crawled on to the bed and sat beside him for a minute. She smoothed her hand along is back and he sighed deeply.

"Danny," she whispered then bit her lip as she moved so she could lie beside him. She smoothed his eyebrows with her finger tips then traced his face. He needed to shave and she smiled slightly. Danny with stubble was a new sight for her.

"Danny," she repeated as she traced her fingers along his lip. He licked his lips and she smiled. "Wake up."

He rolled over onto his back and covered his eyes with his arm. Sam pressed herself against him and laid her head on his chest. His arm came around her, he pulled her close, and she had to force herself to breathe before she started sobbing.

She tilted her face up so she could look at him. "Danny. Wake up."

"Too tired," he said as he rolled toward her, tucking her beneath him. His eyes opened sleepily and she smiled as he blinked at her. A look of confusion passed across his face, he tried to move away from her, but she held him tight.

"Where did you go last night?" Sam asked aware that Danny could probably feel her heart thumping crazily. Danny closed his eyes, put his forehead on her shoulder and was silent so long that Sam attempted to wake him up again.

"I'm awake, Sammy," he told her gently.

"Look at me," Sam ordered breathlessly. Danny lifted his head and sorrowfully met her gaze. Her heart squeezed as she fell into those blue depths she loved so much. She kissed him and he sighed against her lips, obviously uncertain, before returning the embrace.

"I missed you," Sam said against his mouth. "Don't leave me again, Danny." She thought it was strange, she'd said almost the same words to him last night, only he wasn't able to understand. She didn't know if she had the courage to confess everything to him.

Danny didn't know what to say, on one hand, he wanted to pull her close and love her all over again, on the other he wanted to be angry at her, because he was almost sure she hadn't been thinking of him last night, but of Jean Paul. His heart felt ragged and raw at the mere thought, and now here she was in his arms, begging him not to leave her, as if he ever really could.

"I won't leave you," Danny told her as he kissed her again. "I love you. I love you so much. I know you couldn't possibly return my feelings, but it's okay, I understand" His heart ached at the way she gasped. She smiled then put her hand on the back of his neck, pulled his head down and deepened their kiss, he assumed, pessimistically to shut him up.

"Oh Danny," she said as they broke apart and looked in each other's eyes again. She paused and then swallowed hard. "I guess you wouldn't know what Je t'aime, means. Do you know what it means?"

"No," Danny replied as he shifted so he wasn't placing so much of his weight on her. He didn't want to know. Maybe it meant "get your filthy hands off of me" or "I hate you". Though he rationalized if that were true, she wouldn't have woken him like she did, but he couldn't help but worry.

"I said it to you last night, do you remember?"

"Yes," Danny answered hoarsely, still feeling a little groggy from sleep and in emotional pain from the night before. "I remember every moment." He'd never forget, even if she wanted him too.

Sam took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a minute. "Je t'aime, means I love you," she told him and his eyes went wide.

"You love me?" Danny asked in shock. His head swam as he struggled to understand her words, she sounded so far away as his blood rushed in his ears.

"I always have," Sam admitted feeling the horrible sting of an unwelcome blush on her cheeks. "I know you said…" Danny interrupted her with his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply and passionately, and a little bubble of joy rose up in her heart as he showered her with kisses and sweet declarations of love.

"I'm so sorry," Danny whispered against her throat as he kissed her neck. "So sorry. I thought you didn't want me to stay last night. I thought you were upset that I wasn't Jean Paul. I thought…"

Sam put her hand to her mouth. "I ran a bath with the intention of…um…" She smiled wickedly. "Continuing things with you. I knew who I was making love to Danny. What kind of woman do you think I am?"

"One who is mourning her husband," Danny told her honestly. "Who was forced into a marriage she didn't want."

Sam rolled her eyes. "I told you once, I would never marry someone I didn't love." Danny laughed and kissed her again, a feeling of disbelief plaguing him. He had to be dreaming, either that or Sam was going to tell him she changed her mind and had to leave. He couldn't believe that she was here at last, his at last after way too many years of being utterly incomplete without her.

"I love you, Sam," he told her again as he moved them into a more comfortable position on the bed. "But we have a lot to talk about."

"I agree," Sam replied. "But at least we can say it to each other now…I'm tired of being a big open gaping wound. You make me happy Danny. Being with you is like…"

"Heaven," Danny finished as he slid his fingers beneath her shirt. Sam smiled and cuddled closer to him.

"It's better than heaven," she whispered softly as she kissed him again, and then, there was no more talking.

* * *

Danny and Sam were laughing and teasing as they walked into the living room. They stopped and looked at the two occupants of the room; Tucker was sitting with his laptop angled haphazardly in his lap and Jazz was sitting in a chair, combing her fingers through her disheveled hair.

"Hi guys," Jazz said cheerfully as she adjusted her headband.

"What happened to you?" Danny asked as he examined his sister.

Her eyes widened. "Nothing. Why?" Danny shrugged his shoulders and looked at Tucker who was looking at Jazz thoughtfully. He met Danny's eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

"You two look happy," Jazz observed as she stood and sat next to Tucker on the couch. She looked at his laptop and he gave her an annoyed glare.

"We are happy," Danny agreed as he tightened his arm around Sam. She smiled and leaned against him.

"So everything is worked out then?" Tucker asked and pushed Jazz away as she peered at the computer screen.

"Yeah," Sam answered bashfully. "We're good." Both Tucker and Jazz looked at them thoughtfully.

"Seriously?" Tucker asked as he elbowed Jazz who was invading his space trying to get at his laptop.

"What do you mean seriously?" Jazz questioned as she swiped the computer from his lap. "Can I check my email?"

"No," Tucker growled as he pulled the computer away from Jazz.

Danny sat down and pulled Sam into his lap. She kissed him and mussed his hair and he laughed. Tucker and Jazz paused in their fight over the laptop and smiled at the two lovers.

"Definitely seriously," Danny said as he looked into Sam's eyes. She kissed him so passionately that both Tucker and Jazz blushed.

"Want to go for a walk?" Tucker asked Jazz, not taking his eyes from Danny and Sam.

"I just got back from a walk," Jazz answered. "It's horribly windy outside." Danny and Sam broke from their embrace and looked out the window at the garden. It was obvious that no wind was blowing. They looked at each other in confusion then at Tucker and Jazz.

"Go for a walk," Danny ordered then looked into Sam's eyes.

"What happened to needing a chaperone?" Jazz asked slyly, but Danny and Sam were completely oblivious.

"Come on, Jazz," Tucker said as he stood. "Let's go. I don't find sitting here watching Danny and Sam make out, an exciting prospect."

Jazz leaned on her arm as she sighed and looked at the lovers. "Speak for yourself."

"Sicko," Tucker growled. "Come on. I know you're getting sick of me, but let's leave them in peace."

Jazz stood and followed Tucker. "I'm not sick of you Tucker. I just find you and all your tech gadgetry extremely annoying."

"And I find your voice extremely annoying," Tucker told her as he walked from the room, Jazz following close behind.

"Are they gone?" Danny asked as he ran his fingers up Sam's arm.

"I don't care," Sam answered as she kissed his neck. "I don't care about anything right now. Just you."

"I love you, Sam," Danny whispered.

"I love you too," she responded then squeaked as he ran his fingers under her shirt and up her ribs, tickling her until she squealed in laughter.

"Excuse me. Mr and Mrs. Fenton?" A voice asked from the door. Danny and Sam looked up to find Marsha standing there, a clipboard in her hands.

"Hi Marsha," Danny said happily as he joyfully noted that Sam hadn't corrected Marsha, by insisting she was still Sam Manson.

"I need both of your signatures," Marsha said as she walked into the room. She sat down and tapped her clipboard with a pen.

"What is it?" Sam asked.

"It authorizes Mr. Porter to release funds into your bank account," Marsha answered. She shuffled some papers on her clipboard. "I've taken the liberty of opening up a joint account for you, but I need your signatures on that documentation as well."

"Oh," Danny said as both he and Sam sat up. "Can um…can we have thirty thousand wired to my parents?"

Marsha smiled at him. "I have that paperwork ready as well."

"Wow," Sam said. "You're well prepared."

"Of course," Marsha replied with a smile. "It is my job to always anticipate my clients needs." She handed the clipboard to Danny who began reading each document as they signed.

"Mr. Porter also wanted me to inform you that Mr. Master's financial records are now open to you, and that any funds necessary for the up keep of your home and you business interests, will be available to you."

"Business interests?" Sam asked curiously.

"You are both now sole owners of Vladco, Dalv and all related holdings," Marsha answered. "Your business interests expand into the international financial world. You're now very influential people." Danny and Sam looked at each other for a moment then cracked up laughing. Marsha simply smiled.

"You'll find all financial records and documents on the desk in the study," Marsha continued. "If you need any help, or have any questions, the number for Mr. Master's accounting firm is in the rolodex." She looked sad for a moment, but then cheered quickly.

"Congratulations," She said as she stood and shook both their hands. "You've passed the first test. I knew you could do it. Ms. Spectra will only be visiting once a week from here on out. Wednesdays at one pm, please keep a three hour block free as these meeting times are not negotiable."

Danny and Sam looked at each other then smiled at each other as Marsha left the room. "Going to call your parents?" Sam asked.

"In a minute," Danny said softly as he cuddled her into his arms then kissed her gently.

"Two minutes," Sam laughed as she tilted her head so he had better access to her neck.

"A few hours," Danny told her as he pulled her tight then flew her up through the ceiling while she laughed.

* * *

"Don't worry," Spectra said. "The situation has moved a little quicker than we expected, but we're still on track."

"They admitted that they love each other quickly," Bertrand observed. "I expected it to take at least six months.

"Oh I didn't think it would take that long," Spectra purred happily. "I was banking on at least another week. Their feelings for each other are a little too intense for them to stay apart for too long."

Bertrand sighed. "Their happiness makes me feel ill."

Spectra laughed. "It is too sweet isn't it. The star crossed lovers united at last. Too bad it won't be a happy union for long."

Bertrand looked at Spectra in surprise. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"What I mean is that I have been given a detailed plan of action, which Danny and Sam have so far fallen into perfectly," Spectra answered. "The agony, the pain, the hatred is going to be wonderful."

"Oh so that's how Vlad talked you into doing this," Bertrand said knowingly. "You're payment is feeding off their pain."

"That and well, you know how it is Bertrand. I'd do anything for one of my lovers."

Bertrand grimaced. "That's former lover."

"Semantics my dear," Spectra laughed. "Just semantics." Bertrand growled something under his breath and Spectra gave him a fond look and patted his head.

"Trust me Berty, I know what I'm doing. I've always know what I was doing."

Bertrand's business like demeanor dropped and he sighed. "I've always trusted you Pen. Always." She smiled at him again and he shook his head.

* * *

Life fell into a nice rhythm for Danny and Sam over the next month. Tucker and Jazz left for the most part, but came back on the weekends. Alternating weekends Tuck specified as he and Jazz sat at the dinner table one evening, amusing Danny and Sam with their talk of visitation arraignments for their children, Daniel and Samantha.

"I get them on Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter," Jazz stated.

"What!" Tucker growled. "Why do you get them on all the major holidays?"

"Because Danny is my brother. Sam is my sister in law," Jazz informed him smugly.

"But I am their best friend!" Tucker exclaimed.

"Family takes precedence over best friends," Jazz said haughtily.

Tucker looked at Danny who was grinning as he watch them banter back and forth. "I'd say you're only option would be to marry into the family," he teased.

"Sorry Danny," Tucker said as he put up his hands and shook his head. "I'd accept your proposal if you weren't already married to Sam…besides, I'm really I'm not ready to settle down."

Jazz speared one of the carrots on her plate viscously with a fork and Sam looked at her questioningly. Jazz caught her watching and smiled. "I really love these carrots." Jazz told Sam as popped the vegetable she'd been trying to murder with her fork into her mouth and smiled as she chewed, only stopping momentarily to send Tucker an evil look.

So life settled down to a happy routine for Danny and Sam. Tucker and Jazz ended up visiting together. They kept their Wednesday appointments with Spectra, but the sessions never lasted three hours. The couple had surrounded themselves in a bubble of happiness which was impossible for Spectra and her barbed comments to penetrate.

It couldn't be denied that Danny and Sam were very much in love. Danny's parents came for a visit, thanking their son and daughter-in-law for saving their home, and full of sincere promises to pay back the debts, though Danny and Sam waved the offer away, telling them it was a gift. And they were happy and in love, and didn't think of much but each other, eating and sleeping only when it became necessary. All pain was forgotten and neither Danny or Sam wanted to look back, so they didn't.

* * *

"Who could that be?" Sam asked one rainy Saturday afternoon about two months later, as the doorbell rang.

"Tucker or Jazz." Danny said as he remained on the couch with his head in Sam's lap.

"Tucker went to L.A. for a meeting," Sam reminded Danny. "And Jazz said she had to study for her board exams.

"Sammykins!" a shrill voice shrieked from out in the hall and Sam sat up with wide frightened eyes.

"No!" she said as she grabbed Danny and gave him a wide eyed pleading look. "Hide me."

"You're afraid of your mom?" Danny asked in amusement.

"I haven't seen her since before I married Jean Paul," Sam told him as she dug her fingers into his arm. "We didn't part on the best of terms."

"Sammykins," Pamela Manson, dressed in a bright pink checked skirt and jacket, called as she stood in the doorway a moment. She patted her perfectly coiffed red hair, adjusted a pearl earring then walked forward with a pleased smile on her face.

"Hi Mom," Sam said flatly as her mother bent down and air kissed both her cheeks.

Pamela looked Sam over for a moment then asked in concern, "Are you sick?"

"The flu," Sam told her and smiled almost happily as her mother gasped and jumped back. Sam knew her mother hated getting sick above all else. She was almost obsessive compulsive in her fear of germs and in her hygienic habits. She dug some hand sanitizer from her purse then donned a pair of white gloves as she sat back and looked at Sam and Danny.

Danny put his hand on Sam's back and rubbed in slow comforting circles. If he had known Sam's mother was going to show up he would have been at the door to head her off. Sam had been very sick the last few days and he didn't want her upset.

"It's really an embarrassment to learn about your daughter's marriage from strangers," Pamela scolded as she adjusted her gloves. "Your father is beside himself. His colleagues have asked after you and want to know where they can send a gift, and where you were registered."

Sam took a deep breath. "You and Dad disowned me," she told her mother shortly. "Remember."

"That was years ago, Sammykins," Pamela said sweetly as she looked around the room thoughtfully. "Your home is magnificent. When I was told that you and Danny had inherited Vlad Master's estate, I could hardly believe it." Her eyes sparkled with glee. "You are two of the richest people in the world."

"We are, but not for that reason," Danny started and Sam put her hand on his arm. She smiled at him sweetly and shook her head.

"You're father's associates have been begging him to set up a meeting with the two of you, to discuss investments and…." Pamela continued.

"No," Danny interrupted. "We're not meeting anyone to discuss anything."

Pamela put her hand on her chest in shock. "But Danny, you have this beautiful home. You've married my daughter. You've inherited control of a massive financial empire. You need connections. You need to open up your home and entertain."

"I'm not opening up my home to anyone," Danny growled. "And I feel no need to make connections in the financial world." He looked at Sam who had become extremely pale at the entrance of her mother to the room. He moved from the couch and stood at the door.

"Sam is very sick today. She doesn't need to be upset. I will see you out."

"But I just got here," Pamela said as she stood and followed Danny out of the room. "I drove over four hours to get here."

"Next time," Sam heard Danny say as she curled up on the couch. "Maybe you'll do us the courtesy of calling before you visit." Sam chuckled to herself then closed her eyes.

Sam was asleep when Danny returned from seeing her mother out. He looked at her worriedly then picked her up in his arms and took her upstairs to bed. He'd never been happier in his life, but he was worried about Sam.

In interest of keeping her from being stressed he issued his first real order since moving into Vlad's house. No visitors were allowed into the house unless they had his, or Sam's approval first. It wasn't a big order, but Danny was pleased with it anyway. He laid down with Sam on the bed and drifted to sleep, wishing almost wistfully that he could thank Vlad, and wondering how mad the fruit loop would have been to know his death was the harbinger of so much joy.


	11. Chapter 11

Fun Fact: From December of 2005 to December of 2006 I wrote over 900,000 words worth of Danny Phantom stories. Not all of those stories ended up on the internet. I haven't written as much since then.

Chapter Eleven

Danny growled under his breath as he hung up the phone, then looked at his wife, who was dozing on the couch. He sighed heavily as he admitted to himself that they had been living a life of leisure, and now reality, as strange as it may be, was rearing it's ugly head.

He knelt down next to Sam and ran his fingers through her hair. "Sam?" he whispered softly. He watched as her eyebrows furrowed then he kissed her forehead.

"Wake up," Danny told her tenderly. "We're about to have company." Sam squeezed her eyes shut tightly and Danny wiped away the tear trickling from the corner of one. He looked at her worriedly.

"Danny?" she asked her voice shaking slightly. Danny froze as it hit him that she was making sure he was him, and not someone else, someone she still dreamed about. He pushed back the evil jealousy ripping through him and moved away.

"It's me," he said tenderly as he distanced himself from her. Sam opened one eye slowly, then the other. She smiled at Danny and sat up, running her fingers through her hair to straighten her rumpled appearance.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily as she stretched. Danny watched her hungrily, he'd never be able to get enough of her and every little move she made, drove it home that he wished he could just lock her up in the bedroom with him, forever. The fact that she was with him and loved him, eased some of the hunger, but he loved her so much it was incredible.

"Mr. Rochester is on his way," Danny told her. "He'll be here in twenty minutes." Sam shot up off the couch so fast it made her dizzy, luckily Danny was quickly beside her to steady her. She was eager to see what Mr. Rochester looked like, especially after Danny told her he had a British accent.

"I don't get what the big deal is," Danny laughed as he followed Sam upstairs sighing as he walked behind her, watching her hips swing. "So his last name is the same as a character from a weird Gothic novel. Big deal."

"Jane Eyre isn't just some weird Gothic novel," Sam told Danny as she brushed her hair. "It's a classic, and well, I think it would be funny if he was handsome and brooding, and had a wife named Jane."

"You're insane," Danny laughed as he wrapped his arms around her. "And I don't want to have this meeting."

Sam turned in his arms and sighed. "If it wasn't a term of the will that we couldn't just let Vlad's business grind to a halt, I'd say blow off the meeting." Danny placed a kiss on her neck and she shivered.

"Can't we just, hire someone to run it?" Danny begged as he nuzzled her hair.

"Maybe we can," Sam told him comfortingly. "But right now we need to figure everything out. Besides, we can do it together. It'll be fun." Danny groaned and Sam took his hand and pulled him downstairs with her.

"After he's gone though," Sam told Danny as she yawned. "I need to take a nap. I'm so tired."

"But Sam," Danny said worriedly. "You just woke up from a nap." Her only response was laughter.

* * *

Sam was very disappointed with Mr. Rochester, he wasn't handsome or brooding, and she learned when she earned a stony glare from him when she asked if his wife's name was Jane, that he had no sense of humor.

It did turn out that Mr. Rochester's wife was named Jane, but he gave the information begrudgingly as he looked dourly at Sam.

He eyed the way Danny and Sam were dressed, simply in jeans and tee shirts, with a look of distaste then explained to them that they were required to attend several meetings, though luckily Vlad's business was based in Madison, so they wouldn't have to travel.

"It has been suggested," Mr. Rochester said. "That perhaps you should go public with Vladco and Dalv, bring in a board, share holders, let them take a little bit of the burden from your shoulders."

"I don't know if we're allowed to do that," Danny replied. "We'd need to talk to Mr. Porter."

"Yes," Mr. Rochester said as he smiled bitterly. "About Mr. Porter. He is only a probate attorney. You now have a team of legal advisors. I'm certain they can circumnavigate any of the bones of contention in Vlad's will. You but have to ask, after all, they are your legal team now."

Danny and Sam looked at each other thoughtfully and then questioningly at Mr. Rochester. He sat back in his chair as he tapped his fingertips together and looked at the couple. "Do not," he began. "Assume that all of Mr. Masters' employees are completely loyal. While yes he did demand quite a bit from his associates, we are not blind followers." He smiled slightly then looked at his watch.

"Two tomorrow?" he asked. "Meeting at Dalv headquarters?"

"No," Danny said firmly. "Tomorrow is Wednesday. It either has to be in the morning or on Thursday."

Mr. Rochester gave Danny an annoyed look. "Thursday at two," he said then stood. He shook both Danny and Sam's hands.

"Thank you Mr. Rochester," Sam said as she smiled at him wistfully. He gave her another stony glare.

"I'll show myself out," He said as he walked to the door.

"I do suggest, Mr. and Mrs. Fenton that you go over Vlad's books. Familiarize yourself with his financial dealings. Prepare yourself for the meeting." He speared them both with a stern look then left.

Sam sighed then yawned. "Let's go over the books after we take a nap." Danny gave her a strange look and she smiled at him seductively.

"Okay," Danny said happily as he followed his wife upstairs.

* * *

Sam growled with annoyance as she sat and opened the brown leather ledger sitting on the desk. Danny had skipped out on going over the financial records by challenging Sam to a bet, which she lost. Danny teased her about losing her touch as they played Doom and he kicked her butt.

"I haven't played Doom in years," she defended to Danny who just looked at her and smiled.

So, there she was looking though the ledger, finding herself suddenly curious about what Vlad was spending his money on. It wasn't food, that's for sure. His household ledger showed the monthly bills, food, water, electricity, the salary for his staff, the occasional purchase of what he had termed, odds and ends.

Sam shook her head as she flicked through the first three months. She turned to the month May then frowned. Listed in neat little rows were the names of twenty-four people. They had names like Mignon Duchamp and Lisset Badeau.

Vlad had paid each of these people five thousand dollars, all but one named Nicholette Clare, whom he'd paid ten thousand. Sam took a deep shaky breath and closed her eyes. She told herself it was only a coincidence. These women could have been maids or lovers or even prostitutes he'd met when he visited France.

She knew in her heart, who these women and four men were. She looked down the list again, she'd spoken to Nicholette Clare, the woman had apologized for sleeping with Jean Paul and told Sam she was with him in his final moments.

"Danny," Sam called weakly as she looked at the ledger, there was also a expenditure for car repair for two hundred thousand dollars. Sam frowned, it should have been the last thought on her mind, but why would Vlad pay so much to repair a car?

"You needed me?" Danny asked as he appeared beside her. Sam turned and threw her arms around his waist. She'd gotten over the flu a few weeks ago, but now she felt weak, sick and nauseous all over again.

"What's wrong?" Danny questioned as he knelt so he could pull Sam snuggly into his arms. She cuddled into him, burying her face into his neck. Danny held her tightly as he moved so he could read the ledger. He didn't understand what was making Sam so upset.

"Sam," he said as he moved so he could look into her face. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Sam shook her head. "I don't want to talk about it," she told him weakly. Danny smoothed her hair and she clung to him tighter.

"Talk to me Sam," Danny said gently. "Tell me what's going on." Sam sighed deeply then pulled away and tapped the ledger. She explained to Danny who and what the names were.

"Nicholette Claire," Sam said then swallowed hard. "She's the woman who came up to me and apologized for being with Jean Paul when he died, and that she didn't know he was married."

Danny looked at the list in confusion. "You're saying that its possible Vlad paid all these people to go to Jean Paul's funeral and lie about sleeping with him?"

"Yes," Sam affirmed shakily. She read down the list again then burst into tears.

"Oh Sammy," Danny whispered as he held her close and rocked her. He suddenly felt guilty for doing everything he could to skip out on going over the books, if he hadn't been so selfish, this would never have happened, she would have never seen the list.

"When it happened," Sam began shakily. "When they started coming up to me and talking, I couldn't believe it. Jean Paul loved me, he would never have cheated on me. I knew that in my heart and I was so confused, so confused and hurt."

"You can't be sure that's what this list is about," Danny told Sam softly as he stroked her hair. She was trembling in his arms and he held her tighter.

"I just…We know Vlad has been up to something," Sam said hoarsely as she pulled away from Danny and looked into his eyes. Her heart squeezed painfully. If she hadn't thought Jean Paul had cheated on her, would she have fallen back in love with Danny so quickly? Would she have even fallen for him at all? She swallowed hard and closed her eyes as Danny moved and kissed her lips, clinging in a way Sam knew was an offer for more, though he wouldn't push her.

Sam moved away from Danny and looked at the ledger. "There has to be more evidence," she said more to herself than to Danny. She began opening drawers and looking through files.

"Sammy," Danny started as he put his hands on her shoulders. She brushed him off as her eyes hit the rolodex. She began flipping through it, gasping as she found the number for Nicholette Clare. She bit her lip and looked at the clock.

"I'm going to make a phone call," Sam told Danny. "I-I'll be back." Danny watched as she stood and practically ran from the room. He sat in the chair she'd just vacated and looked at the ledger. He felt sick.

"I should have known better," he said to himself as he discarded the ledger then walked to a picture on the wall, he pushed phased his hand through then came back with a large accordion brief case. He'd found it when they first moved in, but didn't think it was worth going through at the time.

He flipped open the case, took a deep breath as he stared at the alphabetical tabs then pulled out all the paper's filed under C and began to sort through them. He knew Vlad was leading him, but he could help following.

"I'm not going to let you destroy my relationship with, Sam," Danny said to Vlad. "Damn you." He found three letters all written to Nicholette Clare in Paris France. Danny felt sick as he read the letters. Sam had her proof, Jean Paul had been set up. He was completely faithful.

It was the third letter that made the largest impact. It was like a punch to the gut, and it landed on Danny's shoulders like a ton of bricks. He took a deep breath and debated whether or not he should just destroy the letter and forget it. He could hear Sam speaking quickly in French, she sounded panicked and hurt.

Danny skimmed his eyes over the letter again then stood and walked into the room to stand beside his wife. She turned her worried lavender eyes to his face as she spoke angrily into the phone then growled in disgust as she hung up.

"Did you talk to her?" Danny asked softly. Sam shook her head then looked at the paper in Danny's hand. She looked at him questioningly for a moment before he gestured for her to sit. He wanted more than anything to hold her, to just make all of this go away, but he realized that he'd walked right into the trap with open eyes. He'd just been so caught up in everything that was Sam.

"What is this?" Sam asked she touched the letter. Danny let her slide it from his numb fingers then watched her face as she read.

She put her hand to her mouth and muffled a sob as tears filled her eyes. "He killed him didn't he?" Sam asked softly.

Danny nodded his head. "It looks that way." Sam closed her eyes a moment before returning to the letter, sniffling as she read.

"He did!" Sam cried. "Look at the date!" Her hands were shaking, the letter was shaking as she pointed to the top of the page. "This was written a month before Jean Paul was killed, but he's talking about Jean Paul's death. He's talking about the funeral and arrangements and…"

"The date could be wrong Sammy," Danny told her softly.

"You know it's not," Sam replied as she shook her head. "It's my fault!" The paper slipped from her fingers to the floor as she began to cry. Danny moved to comfort her, but she pulled away.

"Don't" she said as she stood. "Please. I need to be alone." She ran out to the garden. Danny picked up the letter and took it back into the office. He filed it back into the folder then stood and walked to the safe. He contemplated his next move for a moment then phased his hand through the wall, and felt around. He came back with a laptop. Danny blinked at the device then turned and looked at the one that sat closed on the desk.

A little yellow sticky note was on top of the new laptop. It read in Vlad's blocky script, "Matters of interest for Daniel."

Danny was tempted to throw the laptop across the room and not let the trap close around him further. He sat down, opened the computer and turned it on. There were no passwords, nothing to keep him locked out.

He looked at the files on the opening screen and frowned. Several of them were video files titled Sam and Jean Paul. There were four all together. Danny opened the first one then sat back nervously while it loaded.

They were speaking in French. Obviously extremely happy with each other, running in the rain, Jean Paul shielding Sam with his coat as he got soaked. They ended up under an awing laughing and breathing heavily as they leaned against a wall beneath the shelter.

"Tu es belle," Jean Paul said as he caressed Sam's face, pulling his coat around her as he held her in his arms. Sam laughed then lifted up on her toes and kissed him.

"Je t'aime," Sam told him as they ended the embrace.

Danny blinked as the video ended. Now he really wanted to throw the laptop across the room. He had watched the video with glowing green eyes, as it played like he was watching a horror movie, the seeds of jealousy scraping his heart.

He clicked on the next video and immediately blushed and tried to turn it off. It wouldn't stop playing, the video of Sam half naked in her first husband's arms, and Danny couldn't stop looking as the bubble of joy he'd been living in with Sam, burst.

* * *

Tucker and Jazz looked at each other as they stood together at the door, waiting for Danny to answer. A dour woman opened the door and looked at the pair for a moment then stepped aside.

"Mr. Fenton is waiting for you in the parlor," she said snootily.

"Thanks," Jazz replied as she followed Tucker into the house. They'd each gotten a call from Danny, telling them to come quick, he and Sam needed them. So, Tucker drovee while he and Jazz discussed worriedly what could have happened.

"Danny!" Jazz cried as she walked into the living room and threw her arms around her brother. She moved back so she could survey his ashen face and dull dark circled, pain filled eyes and shook her head.

"What happened?" Tucker asked.

Danny sighed deeply as he sat down. He rubbed his hand through his hair and began explaining to his sister and best friend about the letters, about Jean Paul and his faithfulness, and about the videos. Tucker winced and Jazz looked at him questioningly.

"I thought I got rid of them all Danny," he said sadly. "I'm sorry."

Danny gave Tucker a hurt look. "You knew about them?"

"They were on that first lap top," Tucker told him. "I deleted them all. Maybe I shouldn't have."

"Where's Sam?" Jazz asked.

"Upstairs," Danny answered. "She hasn't left the bed in a few days. I-I've been sleeping on the floor and…she won't talk or eat."

"I'll take Sam," Jazz said to Tucker. "Stay here with Danny."

"Wait!" Tucker said in annoyance. "Sam and I get along better. I'll go."

"Tuck," Jazz growled as she put her hands on her hips. "I have known Sam just as long as you have, plus I have the training to deal with these situations."

"Fine," Tucker said. "But when you come back down here, having accomplished nothing, don't be angry when I say, I told you so."

"Bite me," Jazz said her eye sparkling slightly.

"Where?" Tucker asked. Jazz laughed then looked at Danny who was staring back despondently. She looked uncertain for a minute, met Tucker's gaze then turned and made her way upstairs, to Sam.

"I fell right into his hands," Danny said his voice filled with anguish. "Just stupidly played right into them."

"Why would he do something like this?" Tucker asked in bewilderment.

"Because he can!" Danny half yelled. "Because he was an evil bastard!" He leaned forward and put his head in his hands.

"Finding Sam, marrying her, loving her, being happy with her, then losing her…that's his plan," Danny said miserably.

"You don't have to fall in line with them," Tucker said. "We can find away around things. Jazz will talk to Sam. She's hurting right now, but she loves you Danny, don't forget that."

"I can't get the image of her in his arms out of my mind," Danny said in anguish. "It just replays over and over and over. It's all I see. If he wasn't dead all ready, I'd kill him. But-but she loves him…She loves him, Tuck. I'm just a replacement for the man she really wants."

"I don't believe that," Tucker replied as he snorted. "I think Jean Paul has always and forever been a replacement for you. It's understandable that she loved him, she was married to him, had a life with him. He was faithful to her and here she's been thinking he was a evil philanderer and on top of that, she finds out Vlad murdered him. Give her time Danny."

Danny sat up and looked at Tucker sadly. "The problem is," he started. "That for some reason I don't feel like we have a lot of time. I don't know what Vlad is up to. I don't know how to stop him."

"We know what Vlad's trying to do Danny," Tucker replied gently. "He told you in the beginning. He wants you to know what it's like to lose the love of your life. He wants you to lose everything, but the money. He wants you to be like him."

Danny shook his head. "I get the feeling that it's more than that Tuck. I hate that I'm playing right into his hands."

"How about walking away?" Tucker asked. "I know you'd need to pay the money back, but now that your parents are on their feet again, maybe you can pay…"

"I wish it were that easy," Danny answered. "Somehow I feel as if I've unwittingly sold my soul to Vlad."

"We'll find a way out of this," Tucker said optimistically. "We always have."

"I hope you're right Tuck," Danny replied. "I pray to God that you're right."

* * *

Jazz knocked on the bedroom door then put her ear to the door. "Sam?" she asked. "Are you in there?" Sam didn't answer. Jazz cracked the door open. She could see Sam laying with her back to the door.

"Can I come in?" Jazz asked.

"Go away," Sam answered flatly. Jazz hesitated a moment then walked further into the room. She sat down on the end of the bed.

"Danny says you haven't eaten. Are you hungry? Do you want me to get you something?"

"No," Sam answered.

"A little soup maybe?"

"I said, no!" Sam growled. "Leave me alone.

Jazz waited a moment. "Danny told me what happened. I'm so sorry. I'm concerned about you. I…"

"Jazz," Sam said as she sat up. She her eyes were red rimmed and swollen. "Just leave me alone. I don't feel like trying to dredge up my emotions for you to poke at. I'm tired and I'm angry. Go away."

"Danny told me what happened," Jazz said as she sat down. "I'm not here to pry through your mind. I'm here to help you.

Sam sighed tiredly and laid back down. "What are you going to tell me? That this isn't my fault? That I couldn't have known Vlad was up to something? That I should forgive myself for betraying Jean Paul?"

"Yes," Jazz said as she put her hand on Sam's. "That's just what I'm going to tell you."

"Then don't bother," Sam replied as she pulled her hand away from Jazz. "Because there's nothing you can say to convince me that I'm not at fault. If it wasn't for me, Jean Paul would have been alive, he wouldn't have been targeted by Vlad."

"You're not responsible for Vlad's actions," Jazz began.

Sam shook her head. "From the beginning of all of this, Vlad has been trying to push Danny and I together. I fell for it for awhile, but I'm not doing it anymore." Sam's voice raised almost hysterically. "I don't want this. I want my husband. My Jean Paul. I want his life back. I want our life back." She broke down sobbing and Jazz watched her, pulling a tissue from her pocket and handing it to Sam.

"So you are going to punish yourself and Danny because of Vlad's evil manipulations?" Jazz asked.

"No," Sam replied in an anguished tone. "I'm not punishing Danny. I love him. I'll always love him. I just…I just need to go back. I need to take a look at my marriage to Jean Paul. It wasn't perfect but we were happy. I would have been happy to be with him forever. I would have been happy without Danny."

Jazz shook her head. "I don't know what your life with Jean Paul was like, so I can't disagree with you, but I honestly don't think Danny would have been happy without you Sam. I've never seen him as happy as he is when he's with you."

"His feelings are not my responsibility!" Sam said angrily. "I would never have let myself love Danny again if I'd known Jean Paul was faithful. He deserves better then having me move on and forget him so quickly."

"You're right," Jazz agreed. "But that doesn't mean you can't move on. I doubt he would want you to spend forever mourning for him."

"Maybe someday," Sam told Jazz. "But not right now. Right know I just…I just want him back. I want my husband back." She buried her hands in her face and sobbed brokenly.

Jazz put her hand to her mouth and held back her own tears as she watched Sam in her grief. She waited a few long moments. "What about Danny?"

Sam closed her eyes and shook her head. "I won't abandon him if that's what your wondering. I..I just can't belong to him. I can't…I can't be his lover. I can't give him my heart." She started crying heartbrokenly as she laid down, sobbing so mournfully that Jazz was unable to hold back her own sobs.

"What do you want me to tell him?" Jazz asked in a broken voice.

"Tell him," Sam started then paused. "Tell him I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Tell him I just can't. Not anymore. Maybe not ever, I don't know."

Jazz made her way to the door slowly, amazed that she could even walk considering the heaviness of her heart. "Sam," she said as she reached for the door knob. "Would you like me to bring you something to eat? Vegetable soup? Anything? Water even?"

"Nothing," Sam answered sadly. "I want nothing." Jazz nodded her head and left the room.

* * *

Sam laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, willing herself to sleep, letting the exhaustion which had been plaguing her lately, take her over and pull her into the oblivion of sleep, where she could forget, at least until she woke up again.

She woke to the feeling of someone running their fingers through her hair and singing softly. He eyes flew open and she looked into the smiling face of Jean Paul.

"Good morning, my darling," he told her softly. "I thought you were never going to wake."

"Jean Paul?" Sam asked in amazement as she sat up and looked at him.

"Yes my love?" He answered as he stroked her face.

"What are you doing here?" She blinked in shock, feeling strange and disoriented.

He smiled gently then stood and walked around the room. "I should be the one asking the questions," he said. "What are you doing here, my Sam?"

"It's hard to explain," Sam answered as she watched him. She scrambled of the bed and into his arms. Sighing and burrowing her face into his shirt. He held her tightly for a moment then moved away from her.

"I don't like being a lonely ghost, Sam," he said gently as he moved forward and brushed her lips with his. "I miss you. I miss you so much."

"I miss you too," Sam sobbed. "I'm sorry. I thought such horrible things about you Jean Paul. Made you out to be such a monster."

"I love you, Sam," he said tenderly. "Because I love you. I can forgive you." Sam sighed in relief as he held her again.

"But do you know what I most want?" he asked.

"What?"

He smoothed her hair then whispered in her ear. "I want you to join me Sam. I'm lonely. I need you. I want you to come with me."

"What?" Sam gasped as she struggled to get away from him. He opened his arms and let her go.

"We can be with each other forever, Darling. Just think of it? Nothing will separate us," he smiled at her happily.

"How?" Sam asked as she shook her head. "How can I go with you? I don't understand."

"It would be easy," Jean Paul told her as he watched her lovingly. "A gun, a razor, a rope…."

"You want me to kill myself?" Sam gasped as she backed further away from him.

"You owe me!" Jean Paul answered almost angrily. "You owe me! I need you with me. You've been tearing me up inside what with your affair with Danny. You forgot me so quickly. You let me go so quickly! I need you here with me."

"No!" Sam said forcefully. "Never. I'd never do anything like that."

"Please," Jean Paul begged. "I'm so unhappy without you!"

"I can't," Sam sobbed.

"Why don't you just think about it?" Jean Paul offered. "I'll be back again and we'll discuss it. Maybe you'll change your mind."

"You'll come back?" Sam asked hopefully.

"Yes," Jean Paul told her. "One more time. For your decision. I want you with me forever Sam. If you love me. If you ever loved me. You'll do this for me."

Sam opened her mouth to respond but he was gone. She blinked as she looked around the room, then laid back down on the bed, she was stunned, but oddly she felt at peace.

* * *

"Beautiful job Bertrand," Spectra said happily as he shifted from his form as the Frenchman and into his form of choice.

"Thank you," Bertrand said happily as he bowed to Spectra.

"Now with just a little bending and tweaking, we can drive her to kill herself," Spectra said happily. "Then we will have won and Danny will have lost!"

"What do we win?" Bertrand asked. Spectra smiled at him wickedly.

"We win power!" she told him happily. "Lots and lots of yummy power."


	12. Chapter 12

Fun Fact: I never abandoned Danny Phantom, I just was done writing him. I've received some pretty interesting "mail" calling me some pretty foul names for "abandoning Danny". All I have to say to that is, "Dude, I didn't end Danny and I didn't chose to stop writing fan fics for him. It's FAN FIC…give me a break! Seriously!"

**Warning: There are some disturbing images contained in this chapter. If you're squeamish, proceed with caution.**

Chapter Twelve

Jazz took a deep breath as she straightened her shoulders and walked into the living room where Tucker and Danny waited. They both looked at her hopefully, but she shook her head.

"She's in shock," Jazz announced. "It's going to take time, Danny. Just be patient with her.

"What else would I be?" Danny replied irritably. "What else have I been? You think I'm such a jerk that I would push her?"

"Danny," Jazz said softly. She looked at her brother a moment and sighed then looked at Tucker.

"My turn?" he asked as he stood.

"You're not going to get her to eat," Jazz told him. "She's very insistent that she wants nothing."

"Want to bet?" Tucker asked as his eyes met Jazz's.

She narrowed her gaze at him. "You're sick in the head Tucker. I'm not going to make a bet about something like this."

"Your loss," Tucker sighed. Jazz looked at him thoughtfully then shot a quick glace at Danny.

"Usual terms?" she asked.

Tucker smiled. "Sure." He shot one more look at Danny who just stared back despondently then left the room.

Jazz turned back to Danny. "Danny," she said. "Sam's going to be fine. I promise."

Danny smiled at his sister slightly then looked at the clock and sighed. "I have to go to a few business meetings," he said.

"Business meetings?" Jazz asked. "I thought the lawyers were going to get you out of that obligation at the least."

"Yeah well," Danny said as he stood. "It turns out that Vlad planned for every contingency."

"I'm sorry," Jazz told her brother gently.

"Me too," Danny agreed. He sighed. "If Sam happens to ask after me, tell her I'll be back soon."

"I will," Jazz assured her brother. Danny nodded his head, transformed to his ghostly persona then flew away.

"Oh boy," Jazz sighed she was afraid to imagine things getting worse.

* * *

"Hey Sam," Tucker called as he came in carrying a tray of food. She rolled over and looked at him in confusion.

"You're here too?"

"Yup," Tucker answered. "And I have something kinda important riding on getting you to eat something."

"What?" Sam asked tiredly.

"Victory over Jazz," Tucker answered as he smiled and put the try down on the edge of the bed.

Sam shook her head. "That's not a huge motivation on my part."

Tucker ignored her as he looked over the food on the tray. "I have tofu dogs," he said as he picked up one of the food items in question, looked at it and grimaced.

"No thanks," Sam told him. "I really don't feel like eating."

"Oh," Tucker said as he eyed the hot dog. He swallowed hard. "You thought this was for you?"

"They're not?" Sam asked in amusement.

"They're for me!" Tucker answered and grinned weakly.

Sam smiled slightly. "I think eating one of those would probably kill you," she warned him. "Your system will go into shock and you'll die."

Tucker held the hotdog out toward Sam. "Then you better save me, eat it yourself. I don't want to die."

Sam looked at him blankly. "It won't work."

"Fine," Tucker said. "I hope the bathroom is nearby or else this nice white room is going to be decorated rather colorfully."

Sam chuckled a little then took the food from Tucker's hand. "Oh you make it all sound so appetizing," she said then took a small bite of food.

"Gross!" Tucker said as he shuddered. "How can you eat that?"

"It's not gross," Sam said as she took the bait. "What's gross are the hot dogs you eat which are processed beyond recognition."

"And tasty too!" Tucker replied as he watched Sam eat.

"You're so manipulative," Sam told Tucker as the color returned to her face. Tucker nodded his head in agreement and she rolled her eyes.

"So what did you win from Jazz?" Sam asked.

Tucker's eyes took on a mischievous gleam. "Come down stairs with me and you can see." Sam frowned and Tucker gave her an exasperated look.

"I don't think I can. I-I can't face Danny," Sam said weakly. "I've caused so much trouble."

"How?" Tucker asked tenderly.

"If I hadn't have run away to begin with…" She began then trailed off. She shook her head. "I know who is to blame for all of this."

"Vlad," Tucker said.

"Me," Sam told him. "I'm the one who did this Tucker. I'm the one who left and made it so easy for Vlad to set Danny up. If I had an ounce more bravery I would have stayed."

"And Vlad would have just found another way to try and get at Danny," Tucker pointed out.

"But thanks to me and my stupidity. Danny's hurt. Jean Paul is dead and I don't deserve the love from either of them."

"Oh shut up!" Tucker growled in annoyance. "Anyone who says you don't deserve Danny is an idiot!"

Sam raised one eyebrow at Tucker. "Are you calling me an idiot?"

"If the shoe fits baby," Tucker laughed. "I say wear it."

Sam smiled at Tucker weakly. "I don't know if I can face him Tucker."

"Do you love him?"

"Of course," Sam answered. "I've always loved, will always love Danny. I just don't want to be used by Vlad to manipulate him. I…I think it would be better if I wasn't here."

"That's stupid," Tucker replied.

"I owe Jean Paul more than to just forget him. To just go on with my life like he never existed, like he never loved me, like he never gave me his heart…" Sam trailed of and wiped the tears from her eyes."

"Come downstairs anyway," Tucker insisted. "Jazz won't believe me if you don't."

"Fine," Sam said as she left the bed and followed Tucker back down to the living room.  
Jazz looked at Sam in amazement as she entered the living room, then at Tucker who was grinning at her smugly. "You got her to eat?" She asked in shock.

"And to come downstairs," Sam replied. She clasped her hands together. "Where's Danny?"

"He had a meeting," Jazz answered as she searched Sam's face. "He'll be back soon."

"Oh yeah," Sam said distantly as she sat. "I remember him telling me."

"So," Tucker said as he stood by Sam's chair. "Where is my payment?" Jazz looked at Tucker hesitantly.

"You cheated," she accused.

Tucker's eyes widened. "How did I cheat?"

"I don't know!" Jazz growled in annoyance. "But you must have."

"I told you," Tucker said as he wiggled his finger at Jazz to come closer. "I know Sam better than you do."

"You know," Sam said as she watched Jazz stand and nervously rub her hands down her pants as she looked at Tucker. "I don't know how I feel about being part of some weird bet between the two of you."

"Hush," Tucker told Sam as he kept his eyes locked on Jazz. "She lost fair and square. She's just trying to weasel out of this."

Jazz walked toward Tucker, shot a quick glance at Sam, then looked at Tucker again. "I hate you," she told him.

"I know," Tucker replied. The corners of her mouth twitched.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jazz asked. "Here? Now?"

Tucker nodded his head and Jazz moved closer, wrapping her arms around him as she laid a kiss on Tucker that had Sam sitting with her jaw hanging open. Tucker put his hand on the small of Jazz's back, pulling her back to him as she moved away.

"Tuck," Jazz whispered. "The bet was a kiss, not a make out session."

"Oh," Tucker replied in amusement. "Excuse me." Jazz pulled away and smiled at him tenderly for a moment before resuming her annoyed demeanor.

"What was that?" Sam asked in shock. "That was payment for a bet?"

Tucker's skin darkened a little and he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "It's the first time I've actually won," he told Sam. "Usually she wins and I have to, um…wash her car." Jazz who was now sitting on the couch again smiled slightly.

"This was the first time you kissed?" Sam asked as she grinned. Both Tucker and Jazz shrugged in embarrassment. Sam laughed and Tucker and Jazz both smiled.

"Jazz will kiss me again if it means you keep laughing," Tucker told her.

"Don't press your luck!" Jazz growled. Tucker laughed and Sam shook her head in bewilderment.

"Is there something going on between the two of you?" Sam asked. Tucker and Jazz shook their heads and Sam looked at them skeptically.

"Tucker and I have become really good friends," Jazz answered then changed the subject. "How are you feeling?"

Sam looked down at her hands. She was feeling tired, so very tired and scared and hurt. The thing that frightened her the most, the subject she didn't want to face, was losing Danny. How could he love her when she could turn her back on Jean Paul so quickly? What more did Vlad have planned? Sam knew she couldn't bear it if Danny died, she wanted to die at the thought. Yes she loved him, she was able to admit it now that she'd talked to Jean Paul's ghost.

She felt so torn and guilty. She knew where her heart belonged, she just was too wrapped up in her grief to accept it. She was too tired.

* * *

A few days later, Sam recovered enough from her shock for Tucker and Jazz to leave. She and Danny had begun to talk again, though he was careful not to touch her, though he longed to hold her. Each day was better, though her moods seemed to swing back and forth without warning.

"I'm sorry I have to leave you again," Danny told Sam as he adjusted the blue tie he was wearing. He'd complained to her several times about the navy blue suit and the ties he had to wear. He felt uncomfortable. Running Vlad's business empire was taking up more time than he wanted to spend.

"Don't worry about it," Sam told him sleepily as she laid on the couch. "I'll just take a nap until you get home."

"I love you," Danny said softly as he bent down to kiss her cheek. Sam turned her head and met his lips with hers. Danny was surprised at first, but quickly took advantage of what he assumed was an error by pressing forward in an offer to deepen the kiss.

Sam hesitated a moment then closed her eyes and parted her lips allowing his tongue to slide past them. Her toes curled at the groan of pleasure rumbling from his throat. He slid his arms beneath her and pulled her close, keeping his arms around her as her hand slid up so she could entwine her fingers in his hair. He didn't dare break the kiss to taste skin, he decided it should be enough that she was letting him hold her.

"I love you too," She told him as they parted and Danny smiled as feelings of extreme relief washed through him. Maybe he wasn't going to lose her, she was still his wife, she loved him. Things were going to work out.

"I should go," he said as he ran his finger along her face and looked into her eyes. "I want to stay." He wanted to bask in the change of her mood, take her upstairs and…

"You need to go," Sam told him firmly her open expression closing. Danny sighed realizing that much more would be pushing it and that her mood might quickly turn sour, dark and brooding. He sighed hating the responsibilities he'd been railroaded into by Vlad.

"You know how to reach me if you need me right?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," she answered. "But I'm just going to sleep, so don't worry."

Danny shook his head. He was very worried about Sam. All she seemed to do lately was sleep. "You should call a doctor."

Sam sighed softly. "Jazz says it's just stress."

"Jazz isn't a doctor," Danny growled. Sam raised one eyebrow at Danny and he amended, "She's not a medical doctor. You need to see a medical doctor."

"If I'm not better tomorrow," Sam told him sleepily. "I will."

Danny looked at her a moment. He wanted to kiss her again, but decided it was better not to push his luck. He transformed into his ghost mode then flew from the house.

"Hello, Samantha," Spectra said as she sat on the chair closest to the couch.

Sam opened one eye and groaned in irritation. "Go away, Spectra."

"Is that any way to talk to your therapist?" Spectra asked coolly.

Sam closed her eyes and sighed. "You're not my therapist."

"Oh, Sammy." Spectra cooed. "Can I call you Sammy?"

"No," Sam replied as she curled her legs up on the couch and tried to hide her face in her knees.

Spectra crossed her legs and smiled. "I am your therapist. That's what I was hired to do."

"Then you're fired," Sam told the ghost then rolled over so her back was to Spectra.

"Sorry, Darling," Spectra laughed. "You don't have the authority to fire me."

"But I have the option of ignoring you," Sam told her.

Spectra laughed as she watched Sam thoughtfully for a moment. "I saw that kiss you shared with Danny before he left. My, my what would Jean Paul have to say about that?" Sam closed her eyes.

"Leave me alone, Spectra," Sam said tiredly.

"He loved you. Was so true to you. I think he would have been very hurt that you've moved on so quickly." Spectra told her. "It's so sad. He was taken from you too soon."

Tears welled up in Sam's eyes and she took a deep breath. "I'm not listening to you. I don't have to listen to this." She wished Jazz were around to stop this. Sam couldn't fight. She wanted to, but all her strength was draining from her.

"Did you love him at all, Sam?" Spectra asked her voice reverberating in Sam's ears. "He died because of you and you don't even love him enough to mourn him properly. To add insult to injury you've given yourself to Danny. It's such a shame."

"My ability to mourn him properly was stolen from me," Sam said angrily. "I thought he'd committed a crime against our marriage…"

Spectra gave Sam a look of disbelief. "You were his wife. You knew him Sam. You knew his every move, and if you think back, if you analyze your time with him you would have known he couldn't possibly had affairs! He never had the time. He was too wrapped up in you! You are such an ungrateful twit! His sun rose and set on you and you believed he was so evil!"

"Stop," Sam cried as she put her hands over her ears.

"You're the unfaithful one Sam," Spectra accused. "Danny never left your heart did he? Every day you were with Jean Paul, you wished he was someone else. He gave all of his heart to you and you gave him Danny's sloppy seconds."

"That's not true!" Sam screamed. "I loved Jean Paul for himself! I gave up on Danny…"

"You lie!" Spectra accused.

Sam stood and immediately wished she could sit. "I'm not going to listen to you anymore," she announced and started from the room.

"I know it's hard to face what a wretched evil person you are Sam. You never deserved Jean Paul's love. You don't deserve Danny's, all you are going to do is bring him down, just like you did Jean Paul. You're bad luck!"

Sam said nothing as she ran from the living room and raced up the stairs. She slammed the bedroom door shut behind her and leaned against it until her breathing slowed. She walked shakily to the bathroom, the feeling of tiredness invading her very bones and ran some cool water and bent over the sink to wash her face. She took a deep breath then straightened, looked in the mirror then cried out in shock.

"Jean Paul," she gasped as she turned and met his smiling face and soft brown eyes.

"Sam," he said as he moved forward and hugged her tight. Sam swallowed hard and closed her eyes, not sure she wanted to be so close to him, but then she felt guilty, it was true, he had loved her.

"Are you coming with me?" he asked gently as he searched Sam's face, lovingly caressing her cheek.

Sam shook her head. "I can't."

His expression saddened and tears filled his eyes. "You won't," he stated. "Did you ever love me Sam? Or had it always been Danny?"

"Of course I loved you," Sam replied as she watched the tears run down his face. "You know I did."

"Then come with me," Jean Paul begged. "Show me that my death wasn't for nothing. Give my life meaning." Sam opened and closed her mouth, unsure of what to say.

"You belong with me," he continued. "Who was there for you when you needed him? It wasn't Danny. It was me? Who was willing to do anything and everything for you? Me. I gave you everything, Sam. Now come with me."

Sam felt the weight of exhaustion and sadness pressing down on her shoulders and she looked at Jean Paul though blurry vision. "How?"

"With this!" Jean Paul said as he produced a razor. He held it between them, his eyes sparkling with happiness.

"Razor?" Sam asked as her free will fled from her.

"Yes," Jean Paul answered happily. As he turned and directed her to the bathtub, which was already filled with water. "And the best part is that you won't have to do it alone. I'll help you."

"I can't," Sam said weakly as she let Jean Paul help her into the water and sat down.

Jean Paul sat on the edge of the tub then leaned down and kissed her gently. "You don't have to my love." He took her arm and rubbed her wrist with his thumb. "All I need to hear from you is yes."

"No," Sam replied as she sobbed. "I can't. I can't leave Danny."

"Yes you can!" Jean Paul growled angrily. "He doesn't need you, Sam. He doesn't even love you. You're a nuisance to him. He's only putting up with you so he can get Vlad's money."

Sam trembled as she looked into Jean Paul's eyes. "He's not like that."

"Yes," Jean Paul said. "I overheard him talking to his sister. How he wishes he could just be rid of you. He loved that other girl, that other creature, the one he left you for before."

"No," Sam cried. "It's a lie."

"When have I lied to you Samantha?" Jean Paul asked. "When?"

Sam's body was wracked with sobs as she cried. "Never."

"All right then," Jean Paul said calmly. "Come with me and you'll never be in pain again. Just say yes. Just one word my beloved. It's so easy."

Sam squeezed her eyes shut tight. She was too weary to fight. "Yes," she whispered. Jean Paul smiled joyfully as he ran his hand through her hair then tipped her head back and kissed her once more.

"This won't hurt for long my love," he told her as he took her arm and held it palm up. He ran his finger over her pulse then produced the razor. Sam closed her eyes and turned her head as she held back a sob of despair. She was just too sick and weak to fight.

* * *

Danny appeared in the living room where he had last seen Sam. He'd made it to the Dalv headquarters then had a almost panicked need to see Sam. It had taken him several minutes to explain to a disapproving Mr. Rochester that Sam was very sick and needed him.

Mr. Rochester asked him to stay for a moment, so Danny could sign off on a few agreements. Of course Danny knew better than to sign anything without knowing what it was, so he had to read through the documents, a knot of nausea growing in his stomach.

He almost transformed in front of the entire corporate office, but came to his senses, running out of the office and into the elevator, where he transformed and flew away.

"Sam?" He called as he made his way up the stairs to their room. He opened the door only to find the room empty. His ghost sense went off as he stepped in the room and paused. He could hear voices. They were speaking in French and he couldn't understand what they were saying. His heart clinched in his chest as he walked toward the door.

He heard Sam cry out in pain and he opened the door to find Jean Paul leaning over Sam with a razor pressed to her arm.

"Get away from her!" Danny growled. Jean Paul jumped and the razor skittered to the floor.

"Danny," Sam called out weakly. Whether to try and stop him from interrupting or to call for help remained in questioned.

"She's mine!" Jean Paul growled.

"Not anymore," Danny replied as he shot a blast at the ghost who dodged then turned into a great white wolf and jumped at Danny, pushing him into the bedroom. Danny phased away from the creature then shot it with several ecto-blasts.

The wolf transformed and Danny stepped back in horror. Bertrand stood before him, grinning wickedly. "Giver her up Danny," the ghost said. "She's too far gone to save her. She's to damaged. Let us put her out of her misery gently."

"Stay away from my wife!" Danny yelled as he shot at Bertrand, who transformed into a ghostly white lion and attacked. Danny was able to doge and hit the ghost with several more blasts.

Bertrand laughed and lead Danny on a chase through the house, dodging his shots and taunting him about Sam and her sweet kisses, making Danny angrier and angrier.

Sam felt the pain and despair lift the moment Danny appeared, but now, as she laid in the cold water of the bath, she found her self too weak to move; shivering in the icy water zapped her of all her strength. She laid her head back and decided to wait for Danny, he'd be along any minute to lift her from this hell and hold her in his arms. She wanted to tell him she was sorry for being so selfish, she loved him.

She felt someone moving beside her and she opened her eyes and turned to see Spectra standing near by. The ghost picked the razor up from the floor and then met Sam's eyes.

"How are you feeling, Samantha?" She asked gently.

"Go away," Sam tied to yell, but she was too weak to do much more than whisper the words.

Spectra looked at her sympathetically as she sat down on the edge of the tub. "Such pain," she sighed. "Such deep and beautiful pain." She took Sam's hand in her own.

"Don't do this!" Sam croaked as she tried to pull away in vain. "Please."

Spectra smiled slightly as she dipped the blade in the water. "It's almost a shame that I have to do this," Spectra started. "I'd like to be able to gain power and strength from your agony, but the bargain has been struck."

"What bargain?" Sam asked, trying to stall Spectra, hoping desperately for Danny to come to her rescue again.

Spectra tilted her head as she looked at Sam thoughtfully. "I suppose it can't hurt to tell you," she said as she examined the edge of the razor. "I promised Vlad that I would see to your destruction, to help along Danny's. He's already very pleased with me."

"Why?" Sam asked.

"Why not?" Spectra answered she smiled again, like a demented beauty pageant contestant. She turned Sam's wrist and looked down thoughtfully.

"Please," Sam begged weakly. "Don't do this Spectra. I don't want to die."

"I know, Sweetie," Spectra said sympathetically. "But you'll feel so much better after this is all over." She pressed the razor against Sam's arm and pressed down and she pulled the blade across the delicate skin of Sam's inner wrist." Frowning slightly as Sam cried out in agony then began to scream for Danny.

"Hush, baby," Spectra whispered as blood from Sam's wrist spilled onto the white bathroom tile. She watched for a moment as the blood pulsed from the wound then smiled and placed Sam's hand in the water. Sam who was now too weak to call for Danny, just sobbed in despair.

Spectra stood and walked to the other side of the tub, taking a moment to watch the red swirl of blood in the water before taking Sam's other hand and turning it wrist up. Sam was sobbing in pain begging for Spectra to stop.

Spectra ignored her cries as she rinsed off the razor. "Don't worry. The first cut is the only one that really hurts," she said then smiled tenderly as she pressed the blade to Sam's wrist in preparation to cut, but before she could do anything more, a ecto-blast struck her in the back. She turned in shock to see a very angry Danny in his ghost form standing at the door.

"It's not going to work," Danny growled. "You're not going to take her from me."

Spectra's laugh sent chills down Danny's spine. "I already have," she informed him. "I already have. You have to get through me to get to her, and by the time you do, her life's blood will have bled away. Spectra's expression turned to one of fake sympathy as she pouted, "So sad." Danny didn't wait for more conversation, he flew at Spectra, who jumped forward to attack him.

Sam watched the fight between Danny and Spectra as if she were at a great distance. She could feel darkness growing around the edges of her vision, and a weakness that was worse anything she'd felt before invading her body. She could feel herself slipping away.

"Sam," whispered a voice beside her ear. She turned her head slowly, her lavender eyes opened to meet a blindingly white light. She stared at it unblinkingly, understanding the light was there to carry her away from life into death. She didn't want to go, and wondered if there was anyway she could fight.

The light faded in intensity until Sam found herself looking into a pair of deep chocolate eyes. The expression in them was of profound love and caring. The face smiled at her gently and a hand smoothed it's way down her wounded arm.

"You're going to be fine, Samantha," Jean Paul told her gently. "I'm here to help you."

"No," Sam said, her voice was little more than a whisper. "I don't want to die.."

Jean Paul smiled as he kept his hand on her wound. He seemed to shimmer and glow with a light he was holding inside, just beneath his skin. His eyes were lit from within, not with a ghostly glow, but from something deep and mysterious. He was wearing white robes that seemed to float and curl around him, brushing against Sam's skin, filling her with peace.

"It's not your time," Jean Paul told her lovingly. "I can't heal you, but I can slow the flow of blood." He frowned as he put his hand to her face and found her cheeks icy cold. He lifted her from the cold water, then carried her into the other room and laid her on the bed wrapping her tenderly in the blankets as he rocked her in his arms.

"Do you remember, when we were first married," he whispered in her ear, his voice deep and soothing. "The night we stayed up until dawn, watching the sun color the clouds from purple to orange to pink and I held you in my arms and promised, that I would never let anything or anyone hurt you?"

Sam managed to nod her head and Jean Paul placed a kiss on her forehead. "I'm living up to the promise I made. You are not going to die my darling, I want you to believe that."

"What about Danny?" Sam asked.

Jean Paul smiled. "I do not hold sway over his life, but I'm sure he'll be fine."

"No," Sam said as she licked her lips. She was cold and suddenly very thirsty. "Are you angry at me for marrying Danny? For loving him?" Fresh tears flowed from her eyes as she prepared herself for his expression of grief.

"Of course not," Jean Paul told her as he chuckled as he soothed her tears. "Why would I be angry over something which would make you so happy. Was I such a monster to you that you think I would want to withhold joy from you for my own selfish reasons?"

"Sometimes," Sam answered honestly and Jean Paul sighed as he just rocked her for awhile.

"I was possessive and manipulative," he admitted sadly. "I just wanted to give you everything. I just wanted you to be happy. I thought if I loved you enough it would be enough."

"What about Danny?" Sam asked.

"You'll be happy with him," Jean Paul answered his voice growing pained. "Just remember I loved you too, my sunshine. Just remember we had a life together. Just don't forget me in the face of your love for Danny and his for you, that's all I ask."

"I love you," Sam whispered as she looked into his face, then everything went black.


	13. Chapter 13

Fun Fact: Bluemyst19 helped me plot most of this fic.

Chapter 13

Danny felt sick to his stomach as he stood at the door looking at Jean Paul sitting over Sam with a razor in his hands. When he learned that the ghost wasn't Jean Paul, but was Bertrand, his anger grew ten fold.

Danny had grown very powerful and very dangerous in the last few years, which was why Bertrand had to take the initiative to attack first and then continued to dodge and taunt him.

Danny had never blown a ghost to oblivion but at this moment he knew if he caught Bertrand, he would end the ghost's sorry existence. But Bertrand was able to dodge and weave and finally disappeared, running away like a coward. If he'd had the luxury of time, Danny may have gone after the shape shifter, but he was more concerned with Sam and making sure she was all right.

The shock of finding Spectra poised over Sam, in the act of slicing her wrists was the only thing that saved the ghost. Danny shot at her to stop her, angry at himself that he hadn't allowed his first shot to destroy Spectra. He wouldn't make the mistake again. He listened to her disgusting words and fear filled Danny as he noticed the blood on the floor.

Spectra didn't allow him much more time to think before she attacked. She dodged his blasts just as quickly as Bertrand did and then flew out of the bathroom laughing. Danny followed with murder in his heart.

"You're precious Sam is as good as dead," Spectra laughed at Danny. He thought it better to say nothing as he waited for her to still. He pulled his emotions together, and focused them into the power gathering in his left hand, all he needed was one good shot and Spectra would meet her complete destruction.

"And Vlad," Spectra said as she watched Danny curiously as he stopped staring at her emotionlessly. "His plan is working, I actually doubted it would." She laughed then stopped her zig zagging zooming around Danny, stopping to look at him worriedly.

"Cat got your tongue?" Spectra asked smoothly. Danny watched her for a moment as the power continued to gather in his clenched fist. In the past when fighting ghosts, Danny always had something witty to say, something joking to take the tension out of the situation, but this time he remained silent.

Spectra's eyes grew wide as Danny lifted his hand, she would have darted away if it were possible, but he was too fast, and before she knew it, Danny had hit her in the center of her chest. She gasped as she felt herself dissolving and then suddenly she exploded into a million pinpoints of light that dissipated then winked out of existence.

Danny didn't stay to watch the ghost's last moments, as soon as he was sure the blast hit her, he was gone, flying back to the bathroom and to Sam as quickly as he could. He blinked in shock and despair to find the tub empty. He followed the trail of water and blood into the bedroom with the sinking feeling that Bertrand had returned to finish the job.

The sight awaiting Danny in the room he shared with Sam, left him with heartburn. Sitting on the bed, with it's wings closed protectively around Sam was what looked to be an angel. He lifted his head and looked at Danny worriedly.

"Who are you?" Danny asked as he powered up another blast. The angel opened his wings to reveal an unconscious Sam. Danny's heart flipped in his chest.

"She's not dead," the creature told him in a gentle tone. "Yet."

"Get away from her," Danny demanded. He edged closer to the bed and the angel folded his wings behind his back

"Take her," the creature said softly. "Get her to a hospital quickly." Danny moved forward and scooped Sam into his arms, his breath catching in relief as he realized she was still alive.

"I don't know if the child can be saved," the angel whispered sadly. "You must hurry."

Danny wanted to ask the angel questions, but there wasn't time, he adjusted Sam into his arms then flew away as quickly as he could.

* * *

Danny didn't bother to transform from his ghost mode to human as he flew into the emergency room at St. Mary's hospital in Madison. He just zoomed in through the walls and started calling for help.

The emergency workers approached him with caution at first, then rushed forward and took Sam from his arms and rushed her into a room. They peppered him with questions, who was she? Were the wounds self inflicted?

Danny told them she was attacked by a ghost knowing they'd be more inclined to believe him, Danny Phantom. He answered the questions as best he could, though a few went beyond Sam and more into him personally. What was he doing out of Amity Park? Was he really a ghost? Why was he helping Sam?

"I don't have time for this!" Danny told them in irritation. "I-I have I have a town to protect. I have to go! Sam's husband is Danny Fenton, he's on his way." He took one more look at the doctors working on Sam and flew out of the hospital and into an alley, changed form then ran back inside, asking frantically about his wife.

Sam was stabilized, her wrist sewn and now Danny was sitting beside her, holding her uninjured hand, waiting for her to wake up. He'd called Tucker, but in his panic dialed his house instead, or so Jazz, who answered the phone, had told him. She promised to call Tucker and they'd be at the hospital as soon as possible.

"Danny?" Sam asked as her eyes fluttered open. Danny, who was sitting forward with his head on the mattress sat up and sighed in relief.

"I'm here," he told her. "H-how are you feeling?"

"Weird," Sam answered. "What happened?" Danny wasn't ready to talk about what happened just yet. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her, tell her how much he loved her, tell her he was sorry for not getting to her quicker.

"How'd I get here?" she asked. Danny rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the hospital room. He was about to answer when Sam's doctor walked in.

"Good you're awake," the doctor said as she tucked a pen into her pocket. She smiled at Sam. "My name is Mabel Osgood. I've already met your husband. How are you feeling?"

"Weird," Sam answered.

The doctor smiled and nodded her head. "You're going to be fine. You were lucky not to have lost too much blood, but considering how anemic you were to begin with, I'd expect you to feel very strange."

"When can I take her home?" Danny asked as he squeezed Sam's hand. There was no way he was taking her back to Vlad's house. He'd already called his parents and got the okay to bring Sam to them.

Dr. Osgood cocked her head at Danny as she looked at him thoughtfully. "We have a few more tests to run. We're not sure how your wife's blood loss has affected the baby."

"Baby?" Danny and Sam asked in unison then looked at each other in shock.

"Oh dear," the doctor replied then turned to Sam. "You didn't know you were pregnant?"

"No," Sam answered quietly. Her eyes wandered back to Danny. "But now that I think about it, I should have realized…"

"It's all right," Dr, Osgood told her kindly.

After some thought and calculating the doctor and Sam came to the conclusion that she was a little over two months along which would have placed conception at the first time Danny and she…well…Danny blushed and Sam squeezed his hand.

Dr. Osgood's cheerful demeanor then dropped and she bit her lip as if she was looking for the right words. "Until we run a few more tests," she began. "We can't be sure that your baby has survived the ordeal. It's true that you didn't lose enough blood to be too much of a detriment to your health, but you may not be able to support the pregnancy and it may terminate itself."

Sam closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. She wasn't exactly sure how she felt about being pregnant in the first place. Having children was last on her list of things in life to do, but the thought of being the mother to Danny's children filled her with a strange sort of joy. She didn't want to lose the baby.

"When will we know?" Danny asked. Sam looked at the doctor anxiously.

"We're running a few tests," Dr. Osgood answered. "We'll know shortly." She looked at Danny a moment then stood. "I'll be back in a little while."

Sam leaned back against her pillows and let out a big whoosh of air. Danny watched her for a moment before his hand slid across to rest on her stomach. Sam's hand covered his and she fought back tears.

"It's going to be all right," Danny told her as he leaned forward and she wrapped her arms around him. "The baby will be fine. Everything's going to be fine."

"I hope you're right," Sam said tiredly. Danny nodded and held her tight.

Danny waited a moment, just so he could hold on to her before speaking. "I killed Spectra," he said.

"You what?" Sam asked in shock.

"Well I didn't exactly kill her," Danny answered sadly. "But I guess there's no more Spectra." Sam sighed in relief.

"I couldn't catch Bertrand," Danny continued. "That's why you're going to go home with Jazz and Tucker." Sam nodded her head.

"Danny," she whispered as she moved so she could look into his eyes. "I don't remember what happened except for…" she paused trying to decide whether or not she should tell him about Jean Paul. She stared into Danny's worried eyes and smiled. "Except for I love you so much. I'm sorry if I ever made you think for a moment I didn't. I've always loved you and I always will."

Danny's eyes filled with tears as he moved Sam's hair from her face. "Our road has been hard," he started. "We've both been really stupid. I've loved you since before I can remember, I just didn't realize it until it was too late. By some stroke of luck, I've been given another chance. I'm not letting you get away Sam, not unless you want me to let you go."

"No," Sam said as she hugged him. "Don't ever let me go."

"I won't," Danny told her as tears trickled down his face. "I won't ever let you go again."

* * *

Tucker and Jazz arrived at the hospital both looking like they jumped out of bed and into the car. They blew into the room both looking worried and tired.

"I thought I was going to die," Jazz said. "Tucker was going over one hundred miles an hour." She looked at Tucker. "Are you sure you lost that police officer that was chasing you a few towns over?"

"There wasn't a police car chasing us!" Tucker growled at her. "The flashing lights were your imagination."

Jazz shook her head and turned to Sam and Danny. "Are you all okay?" she asked.

"Do you want to tell them," Danny asked Sam calmly.

Sam looked down at her hands sadly. "What is there to tell?"

"What are you two talking about?" Tucker asked as he made his way further into the room. He hugged Sam tight then looked at Danny thoughtfully for a moment.

"What do you mean what is there to tell?" Jazz asked in outrage. "We don't even know what happened!"

Danny related the story to Tucker and Jazz omitting Sam's pregnancy or the potential loss. She squeezed his hand and he sighed.

Dr. Osgood chose that moment to walk into the room. She looked at Tucker and Jazz for a minute then turned to Danny and Sam.

"Good news," she said happily. "The baby appears to be fine. Heart beating normally. It all looks good. We'd like to keep you for observation. Things are still risky, but so far so good."

"Thank you Dr. Osgood," Danny said as he grabbed Sam's hand. Sam was looking at Danny smiling excitedly. Danny pulled her into his arms and kissed her, hugged her and sighed in relief.

"Baby?" Tucker asked Jazz who was watching her brother and sister-in-law with a devious look.

"Is there something you two haven't told us?" Jazz asked.

"A baby!" Tucker exclaimed.

Both Danny and Sam blushed fiercely as Danny kept his arm protectively around his wife. "We're going to have a baby," he announced.

"Wow!" Jazz said as she put her hand over her mouth. She looked at Tucker for a minute then rushed forward and hugged Danny and Sam. "I'm so happy for you!"

"We have to be careful," Sam warned Jazz who jumped away suddenly as if she might be hurting Sam.

Danny's expression saddened. "There's still a chance that Sam could lose our baby." He looked into her face. "But we're going to do our best not to."

Sam sighed. "It's not like we have a choice, if we lose it…" she trailed off then took a deep calming breath. "If we lose it, it's not because we didn't try…."

* * *

"What's going on between you and Jazz?" Sam asked as Tucker brought her a glass of lemonade. He fluffed the pillows under Sam's feet and gave her a quizzical look.

"What do you mean?" Tucker asked evasively.

Sam rolled her eyes. "It's obvious that something is going on between you, and that you're more than good friends."

Tucker sat on the footstool beside Sam and took a deep breath. He stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "About six months ago," he said then frowned. "I think it was six months ago." He looked freaked out for a minute. "Oh man Jazz will kill me if I forgot….Hold on." He ran out of the living room leaving Sam watching in confusion.

"Yeah," Tucker said as he returned. "Jazz and I were married about six months ago."

"What!" Sam shrieked.

Tucker put his hands up to silence her. "No one knows. No one. Jazz and I didn't want anyone to know for awhile, we were getting ready to announce it when you dropped back into our lives, so I thought it was better to hold off for while."

"What does Jazz say?" Sam asked, still in shock.

"She's mad at me. She says she's sick of living a lie, pretending to live with her parents. Sneaking around like we're ashamed of each other."

Sam wrinkled up her face at Tucker and he gave her a wary look. "Tuck," she said in a scolding tone. "I can't think of one good reason why you should have hid this from anyone! Why? Why did you hide it?"

Tucker laughed nervously. "Well, mostly because I'm scared of Danny and he's been under too much stress. Maybe after things have settled down a little."

"Do you love her?" Sam asked.

"Well duh!" Tucker answered.

"Then just tell everyone," Sam yelled. "No one's going to be angry that you're married. Just angry that you hid it for so long. Six months? Tucker that's terrible."

Tucker looked down in shame, but his mood quickly changed. "Now that you know," he said. "Jazz can stay here. She wasn't feeling to happy knowing we would have to spend however long it's going to take Danny to fix this situation, apart."

Sam gave Tucker a look of annoyance. "Why don't you just be open about it?" she asked. "Tell Jazz's parents at the least."

Tucker looked at Sam warily. "Would you want to be the one to tell Jack and Maddie you eloped with their only daughter and have been hiding it for the last six months?"

"Jack's not going to kill you Tuck," Sam laughed. "He wouldn't hurt Jazz like that. He might intimidate you…or make you think he was going to kill you, but he wouldn't."

"What about Maddie?" Tucker asked worriedly.

Sam looked at him thoughtfully. "She's going to kill you."

Tucker's shoulders dropped. "That's what I thought you were going to say."

"The longer you guys wait, the worse it's going to be," Sam teased.

"When are you going to tell them you're pregnant?" Tucker asked his eyes filling with excitement.

"As soon Danny finds Bertrand and gets back here. Why?"

Tucker grinned. "Do you mind if we tell Jack and Maddie after you and Danny tell them about the baby? They'll be happy and less inclined to maim."

Sam laughed and shook her head. "You're a coward Tuck."

"A smart coward," Tucker told her. "Jazz is going to love you now."

Sam blinked. "She didn't before?"

"Jazz is going to love you more now," Tucker amended.

"That's better," Sam laughed.

Jazz arrived a few minutes later. She knocked on the door and Tucker yelled. "No need to knock, Jazz. She knows."

"You told her?" Jazz asked in shock as she looked back and forth between Tucker and Sam who were smiling at her.

"Yes," Tucker answered. "She knows." Jazz dropped the bag of groceries she was carrying and threw herself at Tucker, knocking him off the foot stool and onto the floor where she kissed him.

Sam watched them for a moment with a look of disgust on her face then laid back and closed her eyes. "I didn't really need to see that guys."

* * *

Danny walked into Vlad's mansion and looked around warily. He had a plan to draw out Bertrand and to hopefully protect Sam, at least for now. He walked into the study and sat down at the desk. There were several messages waiting from Dalv needing his urgent attention. He sighed heavily and silently cursed Vlad for everything.

"Mr. Fenton?" Marsha asked as she entered the room slowly. "Is everything all right? Where's Mrs. Fenton."

Danny gave her a tired look. "Mrs. Fenton has…left us."

Marsha's eyes widened. "Left us?" she asked in bewilderment. "You mean you've separated?"

Danny looked at her a moment and put on the saddest expression he could. "No," he answered.

Marsha shook her head. "My deepest sympathies Mr. Fenton. I'll let….Mr. Porter know…the terms of the will have now changed. I-I'm very sorry sir."

"Thank you," Danny replied. He stood and started walking out of the room.

"Mr. Fenton," Marsha called. He turned to look at her and she fidgeted a moment. "The master bedroom and the bath have been cleaned of blood. I-I thought you might like to know."

"Thank you, Marsha," Danny said quietly. "I'm going to go…lie down for a little while. Can you please see to it that I'm not disturbed."

"Of course," Marsha said then smiled sadly.

Danny went up to his bedroom and stopped at the door. The room was spotless, as if nothing happened. He sighed and laid down on the bed, taking several deep breaths. He needed to find Bertrand. Sam was at risk as long as the ghost was still around, and unfortunately, thanks to Bertrand's shape shifting capabilities, it was going to be hard to flush the creature out. Until then, everything and every one was a suspect, and he couldn't call Sam, though he itched to.

Time passed for Danny with excruciating slowness. Tucker had promised he would call and let Danny know if there was a change in Sam's condition, so Danny's outlook that no news was good news, but as the weeks passed and his mood grew gloomier and gloomier. He was lonely. He missed his family and Tucker, but most of all he missed Sam.

Danny did his best to deal with Vlad's business interests, but he became more and more suspicious of each person he encountered. It struck him as funny that he was becoming like Vlad, suspicious, angry, bitter, all the rotten things Vlad was, albeit temporarily.

Danny began to feel he understood Vlad a little better, his life was empty and dull, there was nothing better to do than sit and plot evil, and Danny did sit and plot. He plotted what he would do when he saw Bertrand next, dreaming about several different ways of sending him to oblivion.

It was a little past midnight several weeks after Spectra and Bertrand's attack, that found Danny contemplating a flight to Tucker's house to see Sam, when Bertrand finally made his appearance. The ghost looked anguished and disheveled as he stood at door to the living room.

"You!" Bertrand growled angrily. As Danny quickly transformed into his ghostly self. "Did you have to destroy her?"

"Yes," Danny answered simply.

"Does it matter to you that I loved her? I loved her all my…ghost life. I've loved her and you took her away from me!" Bertrand continued.

"Both of you attacked Sam," Danny replied calmly. "Did you expect me to thank you?"

Bertrand kept his fiery gaze locked on Danny. "It wasn't her fault! She only did what he asked her to do, because she…loved him!" His expression saddened further.

"That doesn't excuse what she did," Danny told Bertrand, trying to chose his words carefully.

Bertrand didn't give Danny an opportunity to ready himself, he attacked immediately, scratching at Danny with hand's that transformed into claws.

"Now it's your turn to pay!" Bertrand screamed as he flew at Danny with murder in his eyes. Danny dodged the attack then turned and threw a few blasts at Bertrand which weakened the ghost rather than destroying him.

Danny paused for a moment, his conscience getting the better of him as he looked at Bertrand, growling at him with grief filled anger. It hit Danny at that moment that Bertrand was morning the loss of Spectra, someone he loved, his pause was an almost fatal mistake.

Bertrand saw the flicker of sympathy in Danny's eyes and he struck, swift and sure at Danny's throat. Danny was spared only by his urge to step back as the truth of Bertrand's mourning hit him. The ghost wasn't unlike him in his feelings. He loved, he lost, he mourned, lessening Bertrand's attack.

The ghosts claws sliced into Danny's shoulder forcing him back against the wall. Danny pushed at Bertrand who was already moving toward Danny's neck with sharp pointy claws. Any sympathy Danny held for Bertrand fled as he fought for his life, blood oozing from his shoulder.

Danny grabbed Bertrand's claw then powered up a blast in his free hand, he fired at close range, but Bertrand was ready and he shifted around the shot. Laughing as he changed his shape into a wolf, and snapped at Danny's face.

"You're done," Bertrand growled. "Give up." Danny didn't reply, he simply phased into the ground, surfacing several feet away. Before Bertrand had time to react, Danny had three shots into the beast. Bertrand growled then burst into a million particles of light which shimmered and twinkled around the room like faerie lights.

Danny put his hand to his shoulder then moved and looked at the green blood and sighed sadly. He sat on the couch and closed his eyes trying not to feel guilty for destroying Bertrand, despite what he'd tried to do to Sam. He took several deep breaths and concentrated on his flesh knitting back together, then transformed back to his human self. A check of his shoulder found the wound to be nothing more than a shallow wound.

"Sam," Danny whispered as he rested his head on the back of the couch. He was looking forward to seeing her, and intended the moment he calmed himself, to go to her, though he really didn't want to bring her back to Vlad's mansion.

A shadow fell over Danny's face and he growled in almost irritation as he opened his eyes. He was unable to make out the form standing over him for a moment, that is until the form in question spoke.

"Good Evening Daniel…"

* * *

**Dun dun dun dun!! Reviews for me or not? XD**


	14. Chapter 14

**Big thanks to my friend HyperknucklesGC over at DA for helping me out of a hole.**

Chapter 14

Danny who had been sitting in the darkness with only the light from the hall illuminating the room, frowned at the shadow now blocking that light. The shadow shifted so that he could clearly make out the form standing before him, so that he was now looking into the evil slate blue eyes of the one person he really hadn't expected to see alive again. He wondered briefly what he was supposed to say to someone who'd come back from the dead.

"Vlad," Danny greeted calmly, as though he had been expecting the creep to appear all along. Vlad stood in his human form looking down at Danny with a slightly smug smile curling on his lips. He switched on the lamp by the couch, then sat down in the nearest chair and gave Danny an expectant look.

"Well played my boy," Vlad said pressing the tips of his fingers together as he stared at Danny. "I was wondering how I was going to get rid of Spectra. You did marvelously!"

Danny folded his arms across his chest and regarded Vlad thoughtfully for a moment before speaking. "Back from the grave I see. Did you just dig your way out or have you just been lurking around like the evil demon you are?"

Vlad chuckled slightly. "I was never really dead in the first place."

"Second option I see," Danny said dryly as he took on a posture and tone very similar to Vlad's.

"Aren't you pleased to see me?" Vlad asked in an amused tone. "I would think that you'd be happy to see your dear old mentor alive and well."

"My mentor?" Danny asked as he raised his eyebrows. "I don't see any one here but an old crazed up fruit loop who has, by the way committed fraud." Danny cocked his head to the side. "Isn't faking your own death illegal?"

Vlad regarded Danny thoughtfully for a moment the corners of his mouth twitched to keep his smile in place. Danny kept his demeanor very serious

"Mere technicalities," Vlad replied. "I'm not concerned about the legal repercussions from my faked death, they are easily overcome. What I am concerned about is you, Daniel."

"Why?" Danny asked blankly. "Concerned your evil manipulations aren't working?"

Vlad's smile faltered a brief moment and he narrowed his eyes at Danny. "My plans have come to fruition quite well."

"The last I knew, my parents were still married," Danny began. "And they're going to stay that way. My mom loves my dad, that's not going to change."

"It's not your mother I'm after this time," Vlad said coolly. "It's you I want, Daniel."

"What?" Danny asked in shock as he gave Vlad a look of disgust.

"Not like that!" Vlad said then shuddered, "No, no. It is true that in the past few years I have come to terms with my mortality. I realize that winning Maddie's heart is only a dream" Vlad sighed heavily. "But you dear boy, have always been like a son to me, if you would just let go of all this "hero" garbage…"

"What?" Danny interrupted, finally betraying his irritation and shock. "You've gone through his elaborate game because you want me as a son? A partner?"

"Yes," Vlad answered then looked at Danny expectantly.

"You killed, Sam's husband, made him out to look like a cheater then brought Sam here, forced her and I to marry then sent Spectra and Bertrand to kill her, for what? What has lead you to believe that hurting the people I love is going to prompt me to do what you want?"

"It's much more than that," Vlad said coolly. "I've been putting the pressure on you for along time now, waiting for you to realize the hero business is not profitable."

"And I've told you from the beginning, I want nothing to do with you," Danny growled. "And I want even less to do with you now."

Vlad looked at Danny blankly. "And yet you accepted my estate as your inheritance. How long has it been since we've seen each other Daniel? A year? Two years?"

"Not long enough," Danny answered shortly. The last time he's seen Vlad was a visit of desperation, to ask for help, but things just seemed to get worse after the visit. Danny always suspected that Vlad had a hand in his parent's financial difficulties, but was never able to tie him to anything.

"Things could have been so much easier for you Daniel," Vlad said his voice filling with pity. "But you had to play the hero didn't you? You gave up your dreams so your sister could follow hers. I know how hard you've struggled to help keep your family afloat. It's so tragic Daniel. You have powers beyond imagination, yet you chose to do nothing with them."

"I'm not sorry for my choices," Danny said coldly. "Making sacrifices is what a person does for the people they love. I know it's a foreign concept to you Vlad, but the world is supposed to work that way."

Vlad's only response was to smile. "You've lost quiet a bit, Daniel," he continued. "I know you wanted to be an astronaut, when is that going to happen? What are you going to do with the rest of your life? Work at a construction site during the day, bag groceries at night?"

"That's when I was fourteen," Danny replied angrily. "My dreams changed, and I'm not here to discuss my dreams, failed or otherwise, with you. Also, unlike you, I'm not afraid of a little hard, honest work!"

"And of course the worst of all, you lost Sam," Vlad said, as he emphasizes the word lost and his smile widened as Danny's face saddened. "It's such a pity. I followed her you know. I've always known where she was. You could have spared her so much pain and loss…"

Danny shook his head as he continued to glare. "You killed her husband, Vlad."

"For you!" Vlad said smoothly. "So that you could be reunited with her. I didn't want you pining over you're lost love like I did…"

"You're disgusting," Danny sneered. "Are you really that manipulative, or are you so crazy that you can't remember your evil plan from one moment to the next?"

Vlad laughed. "My dear boy. I'm coming clean with you. Would you like me to start at the beginning?"

"I'm not going to believe a word you say!" Danny half yelled. "You change things from one moment to the next, and I'm not sure you even know what your plans are, or what the truth is."

Vlad rolled his eyes then leaned back in his chair and loosened his tie. "I know what the truth is," he told Danny calmly. "My web however is so complex and woven so tightly, that I understand your inability to distinguishing an illusion from reality."

Danny barked in laughter. "I think you're the one who is delusional, Vlad."

Vlad's smile widened. "I had Sam followed when she left. I kept and eye on her for years, just waiting for the right moment to bring her back into your life. It was unfortunate that her husband got in the way, but his presence has served the perfect purpose."

"What was that," Danny asked angrily. "To make me jealous?"

"Oh it's not so simple as that," Vlad answered smugly. "You can be reunited with her. You can marry her. You can love her. She can love you, but one thing will always remain. This man in her life who loved her first, who she belonged to first. He will always be in her heart. There will forever be a part of her that can just never quite belong to you Daniel, a part of her you can't touch."

"It doesn't matter to me," Danny told Vlad. "What matters is that she's with me now. She loves me now…"

"And you will always be wondering," Vlad interrupted. "Does she wish you were him?"

Danny shook his head. "It doesn't matter to me that she had someone else in her past. I'm not crazily obsessed like you are. I had someone else in my life too, or did you forget about Valerie."

"Ah yes," Vlad said as he leaned forward. "The beautiful Ms. Grey. She was aware of more than you think she was. I do think that she loved you, or at the least cared a great deal about you, so much so that she was willing to cut ties with me. I contacted her recently and she has been rewarded handsomely for her work. I really doubt you'll miss her or that she could possibly have any effect on your relationship with Sam. By the very virtue of her betrayal your memory of her is tainted, while Sam's memory of her first husband is pure and untainted."

Danny ran his hand through his hair tiredly. He hated that he was bound up so tightly in Vlad's game. He'd always tried not to play along, but now he thought that maybe he should have fought back, played the game to counteract it.

"The solution to your problem is simple," Vlad said smoothly. "Just join me. I'm not asking for your soul, Daniel. I am asking for your loyalty. It's not a big deal really. It's simple. You go on with your life as usual, helping me when necessary. With our powers combined, we can rule both the Ghost Zone and the world."

"I don't want to rule anything," Danny said tiredly. "And your crazier than I thought."

"You don't have much of a choice," Vlad replied. "I know Sam is alive and well. I know she's carrying your child. I just have to say the word and a few of my associates will…"

Danny didn't give Vlad a chance to say anything more, he stood, grabbed Vlad by the collar and pulled him up out of the chair, noting that they were of equal height. Vlad blinked at Danny in startled amazement.

"I'm not a boy anymore, Vlad," Danny hissed as he bore his glowing green gaze into Vlad's steel blue eyes. "If you so much as touch a hair on Sam's head, I'll send you straight to hell with Spectra and Bertrand."

"Control yourself, boy!" Vlad growled as he wrenched himself from Danny's grip and moved away. Danny watched as Vlad straightened his suit and his countenance.

"I am calm," Danny told Vlad. "You seem to think you can make demands, and that I'm just going to go along. Not this time! This time we end things here and now."

"End things?" Vlad asked. "Are you actually daring to threaten my life, Daniel? You would commit murder over a girl, would you?"

Danny took a deep breath he knew that ignoring Vlad's game wasn't going to work anymore, it had only caused him problems in the past and put him right in Vlad's hands. He just wasn't going to play by Vlad's rules.

Vlad nodded his head. "Yes you would commit murder, but the destruction of two ghosts is hardly murder, you simply moved them along to another plane of existence. But killing me, Daniel, well that's a different thing all together."

"It would be riding the world of a rather nasty evil," Danny began to reason as his mind raced. "I would be doing even the Ghost Zone a favor."

"But I am human. Flesh and blood. There are consequences for exterminating human life. Human laws…"

"Ah wait!" Danny said as he walked toward Vlad. "You're forgetting something."

Vlad took a step back as he narrowed his eyes at Danny. "I forget nothing, Daniel. I have been planning this for years and so far, things are going according to plan, all except your stubborn refusal to surrender. You know I have you beat Daniel."

"You're forgetting," Danny continued. "That according to everyone, according to the world, you're already dead. I could end things right here. Right now, no consequences."

Vlad's eyes flickered in fear for a brief instant. "While you are right you still have to deal with the moral ramifications of your dilemma. It's quite unlike you to go around murdering people…"

"You're right, Vlad," Danny said as he watched Vlad closely. His plan of action was set, all he needed was the right time to make his move. "Murdering people seems to be your job. Tell me did you kill Jean Paul yourself or did you hire someone else to do it, to keep your hands clean?"

"How I did it isn't as relevant as the fact that I did, and you should be grateful to me, Daniel. I gave you your true love. She is your true love isn't she? You know I can take her away…."

"Stay away from Sam," Danny growled angrily. "Threaten her again and I wont think twice about dropping you where you stand, Vlad Masters. Don't make the mistake of believing that I can't or won't do it. You know how strong my powers have become these past few years."

Vlad chuckled at Danny. "Threatening me? Threatening to kill me? Why Daniel you really are becoming just like me."

"That's what you wanted, isn't it?" Danny asked angrily as he transformed into his ghost form. "For me to be just like you? The best part is, when all is said and done, your fortune will still be mine."

Vlad quickly transformed into Plasmius. "I don't want to destroy you!" he said calmly. "If that were the case I would have done so a long time ago."

"You should have done it when you had the chance," Danny said emotionlessly as he duplicated into three.

"I was so proud of you when you finally learned to duplicate yourself," Vlad said in a proud tone. "But only three?" he duplicated himself into four.

The three Dannys smiled and each duplicated themselves once, so six duplicates stood before the four Vlads, who all stepped back in surprise.

"You shouldn't stretch your resources so thin, Daniel," the Vlad's warned. "I know first had that four are difficult enough to control, six is nearly impossible."

"You would think that wouldn't you?" Danny said as all six merged back into one. "But of course you're powers don't extend that far, do they?"

"Daniel," Vlad began as his duplicates merged. "Think about what you're doing my boy. I've cared for you. Loved you like you were my own son…"

"What?" Danny asked in disbelief. "You loved me like your own? Trying to destroy my life and force me into submission is a great way of saying, "I love you". Jazz has always been right about you. You're a narcissistic sociopath."

"Oh," Vlad said dramatically as he put his hand to his heart. "Your words hurt me so. I am so disabled by your know it all sister's piddling little diagnosis. Do you think there is any hope for me? Any way I can be rehabilitated into a productive little drone for society?"

Danny looked at Vlad emotionlessly, making it very apparent that he wasn't amused, nor was he simply playing along with Vlad. He was buying his time, waiting for Vlad to make his move so that he could make his.

"Speaking of your sister," Vlad said as his smile grew into something wicked. "Did you know she's having an affair with your best friend?"

Danny said nothing. He simply blinked at Vlad. "They were doing unspeakable things, Daniel. Right here. Right under your nose. Your best friend, Tucker, who has betrayed you on more than one occasion is diddling your sister. What do you think of that?"

"Are you trying to get a rise out of me?" Danny asked smoothly. "Because if so, that's not going to work. Both Tucker and Jazz are adults. I know my sister and Tucker well enough to know they wouldn't be involved with each other if they didn't love each other. In fact. I'm happy for them. You couldn't have given me better news."

Vlad snorted in disbelief as he began walking around the room in an attempt to disguise his frustration with Danny's unflappable calm. He narrowed his eyes as he watched him, then stopped and put his hands on his hips.

"You know," Danny said thoughtfully as he watched Vlad. "You've been the catalyst for so many good things lately. First you die, which was excellent news. You leave me your fortune so that I can save my family from debt, excellent news. You send Sam to marry me, making me probably the happiest man in the world, and now you tell me that my best friend is in love with my sister. Perhaps, it could be, that you're becoming more like me."

Vlad snorted in laughter. "Me like you?" he asked. "That's rich."

Danny smiled. "Look at all the good you've done lately, Vlad. Tell me it doesn't feel good."

"You're omitting the fact that your good fortune came at the cost to someone's life, dear boy," Vlad said bitterly. "And all this do gooding would only feel good if it brought me all the things I wish to own."

Danny nodded his head as if he understood. "I know how bored you are Vlad. I suggested a long time ago that you get a cat…"

"A cat!" Vlad growled. "You tell me how a cat is a replacement for human companionship? How is a cat a replacement for the woman I love, for the son I could and should have had with her?"

Danny shook his head. He was getting tired of this verbal sparing match. He wanted to go, he wanted to tell Sam the nightmare was over. He wanted to take her in his arms and tell her how much he loved and missed her, and promise her that they'd never be separated again. Unfortunately, a bag of hot air was pacing around him like a caged jungle cat, trying to gain the upper hand in a game that he had lost many years ago.

"It would be a replacement for a woman you could never have had," Danny answered. "What's wrong with you that you couldn't just move on?"

"Enough!" Vlad growled in frustration. "Are you saying that you refuse to join me? That you'd rather die first?"

"That's what I'm telling you," Danny said boldly as he prepared himself for what he hoped would come next, but unfortunately Vlad seemed to sense Danny's tension and he pulled back.

"You now," Vlad said as he resumed the evil smug smile. "After you're gone, perhaps I'll take your sweet little widow under my wing, watch over your child. See that you are expunged from Sam's memory and take her as…."

"Shut up!" Danny growled angrily knowing that he needed to calm himself. Talk of Sam was his weakness, Vlad already knew that and was playing with him.

"You don't like the thought of Sam's remarriage to me?" Vlad asked in mock innocence.

"You're sick," Danny answered in disgust.

"So," Vlad continued. "What are we going to do? Circle each other until one of us decides they've had enough and attack? Or will we continue to play these little mind games? I do have to admit I find it rather fun."

"You know," Danny said thoughtfully. "I think I know what I'm going to do with you. It solves my ethical dilemma nicely."

Vlad raised his eyebrows. "Really, Daniel?" He asked. "You've figured out what to do with me? You mean you're not going to explode me into a million little flickering shards of light, ushering me off into the cruelty of oblivion for all eternity?"

Danny shook his head. "No, Vlad. I have a much, much better plan for you." Danny's next move was so quick, that Vlad didn't have time to react. Danny stepped forward and brandished an uncapped Fenton thermos. With a pleased smile on his face, he activated it and waited.

On a normal occasion, Vlad would have been able to use his powers to escape the inexorable pull of the beam sucking him into the thermos, but Danny had the element of surprise and the nearness of his proximity on his side and before Vlad could utter his final curse against Danny's mother, he was inside the thermos with the cap firmly in place.

"Well Vlad," Danny said as he put the thermos on the coffee table and bent close so he could talk to it. "What have you to say about all your mighty plans now? What have you to say about your games, your manipulations and all your evil plans? What? Nothing? I'm surprised. I'd thought you'd have something more to say about your defeat." He smiled at the thermos then sat back for a moment.

"Oh, and Vlad," Danny said happily. "All this is mine now, as per the terms of your will, if a child results from my union with Sam, then all assets will be mine to do with as I please. I am so going to enjoy dismantling your empire, piece by piece."

Danny laughed bitterly almost feeling sad for his old nemesis. "You're really going to wish I had killed you Vlad, but no, I'm not going to dirty my hands with you. I do have a friend who I suspect would be willing to take very good care of you. I'll introduce you later. Right now, I need to go see my wife. Please excuse me."

* * *

  



	15. Chapter 15

Fun Fact: The worst part of editing is all the uploading and formating on FFN. I am TIRED now!

Chapter Fifteen

Sam looked at the small picture in her hand as she road in the passenger seat beside Jazz. She couldn't stop looking at the black and white ultrasound photo. Jazz stopped at a red light then looked at Sam and smiled.

"It's amazing," Sam said softly. "This is my baby." Jazz nodded her head and continued to smile. The danger had passed and the baby seemed to be developing normally. Sam herself wasn't as tired and apart from missing Danny, was feeling good. She tried to keep her thoughts up beat and positive, but she was worried. He'd been gone a month and it was getting difficult to disguise her condition.

"I'm jealous," Jazz told her sister in law wistfully. "I know it's too soon for Tucker and I to start a family but…" She sighed sadly then pulled into the driveway.

"But you have to tell everyone you're married first," Sam teased.

Jazz sighed again. "That's not so easy," she told Sam. "But we're going to talk to Tucker's parents tonight."

"You're going to test it out on them first?" Sam asked in amusement. "And what are you going to do if they freak out?"

"Run away to Alaska," Jazz answered determinedly.

"I think everyone will be happy," Sam told her as she looked down at the picture in her hand again. "You love each other. You're happy together. Why would they be mad?"

"For keeping such an important secret," Jazz answered. "People don't like to be left in the dark by their loved ones."

"Yeah. I feel like I'm in the dark," Sam said as she got out of the car. "It's been a month since I came to stay with you and Tucker and I haven't heard a thing from Danny. I'm going crazy."

"Do you want me to call him?" Jazz asked kindly.

Sam shook her head. "No," she answered. "I don't want to risk interfering with whatever he has planned." She reached for the door knob and stopped, shivered slightly then stepped back.

"What's wrong," Jazz asked as she looked at Sam who had gone deathly pale. "Is it the baby? Are you all right?"

"Tucker is at work right?"

"Yes," Jazz answered as she looked at the door.

"Someone's in there," Sam told Jazz as a feeling of panic welled up in the pit of her stomach. She took several steps back.

"Maybe Tucker came home early," Jazz suggested as she started for the door.

"No!" Sam said breathlessly. Her wrist was starting to throb painfully. The gash had healed, leaving behind an angry red physical scar and some pretty painful psychological ones as well. She cradled her hand to her chest and Jazz watched her a moment.

"It's okay," Jazz told her as she fished the Fenton lipstick out of her purse. "I'm not afraid of ghosts. You shouldn't be either."

"You weren't almost murdered by one," Sam whispered almost jokingly. Jazz furrowed her eyebrows at Sam.

"True," Jazz admitted. "But that was not a normal situation. You stay here. I'm going in."

Sam grabbed her arm. "I'm going with you." Jazz gave her an almost amused look then started forward.

"Just stay behind me," Jazz told her.

"Hell, if there's a ghost in there, I'm pushing you toward it as a sacrifice and running away," Sam joked.

"Oh thanks a lot!" Jazz pretended to be offended. "I thought you were scared. Why are you joking?"

"Who said I was joking?" Sam asked in a deadpan voice. Jazz gave her a gasp of surprise and Sam smiled. Jazz rolled her eyes then turned her attention to the empty living room.

"Be quiet! This is supposed to be serious!" Jazz hissed.

"Sorry," Sam replied. "I tend to become full of levity in serious situations." Jazz gave her a worried look and they continued to look through the house.

"What are you searching for?" asked a voice from behind them. Both Sam and Jazz jumped and screamed then turned to come face to face with Danny in ghost form.

"Danny!" they both screeched and he jumped back in preparation for attack. All three looked at each other a minute then they began laughing.

"You scared us!" Jazz chastised then paused as she watched Danny and Sam look at each other. She shook her head a little and smiled as she took a few steps away from the pair then disappeared inside her room to give them some privacy.

There was nothing to be said as they both moved forward at the same time, putting their arms around each other and sighing contentedly.

"What took so long?" Sam asked as she buried her face into Danny's chest.

"Long story," Danny answered as he kissed the top of her head. "I don't have time to explain too much right now."

"I missed you," Sam sighed as Danny moved her so he could look at her.

"It's all over," Danny told her as he searched her face. "I just have one loose end to tie up and it's all over."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked as she watched Danny's green glowing eyes.

He shook his head. "Long story." He smiled slightly. "Is the baby…"

Sam smiled happily. "The baby is fine," she told him and he let the breath he was holding out in relief. "Everything is fine, except we miss you." She took his hand and pressed it against the her stomach, which had just recently began to show the effects of pregnancy. The look of pure joy on his face took her breath away and caused her eyes to fill with tears.

"I'll be back soon," Danny promised, his voice thick with emotion. "I wouldn't have come at all, except I miss you too. I needed to see you." Sam stretched up onto her toes and kissed Danny's cheek and he took a deep shuddering breath and closed his eyes. Sam looked at him a moment then slid her hand behind his neck and pulled him down so she could place a kiss on his lips, a small little kiss that became much more than she intended.

Danny tightened his arms around her, not wanting to let go, but knowing he needed to go back and deal with Vlad. He wanted to hold her forever, his wife. His wife! He smiled against Sam's lips. She was his wife, it genuinely hit him for the first time that Sam was his wife and his heart swelled with pride.

"I need to go," he told her regretfully and she nodded her head as she moved away from Danny. He smiled gave her one last quick kiss then disappeared, fearing that if he stayed any longer he wouldn't be able to leave at all.

Sam leaned against the wall and smiled for a moment then put her hand over the swell of her stomach. "I love your daddy," she said to the child growing within her. She closed her eyes for a moment then stood and walked to the door of her bedroom then paused. She reached for the door knob then shivered slightly then stepped away apprehensively.

"Jazz?" Sam called over her should. She knew someone was in her room, she could somehow sense them on the other side of the door. Her wrist began to throb again. She swallowed hard as she bolstered her courage and pushed the door open as she chastised herself, betting that Danny was waiting to surprise her one last time before he went back to deal with Vlad.

"Okay," she said as she threw the door open. "You're not going to….," her words trailed off and her breath caught in her throat, as she was confronted with a wicked pair of glowing green eyes and an equally wicked grin, and they were not those of her half ghost husband.

"Hello Mrs. Phantom," the ghost greeted. Sam gasped as she cradled her wounded wrist to her chest. She would have screamed if she could have caught a breath, darkness was curling it's way along the edges of her vision and she finally sucked air into her lungs.

"What do you want?" Sam squeaked as she backed up against the wall. Skulker walked forward, still grinning like a maniac.

"Jazz," Sam yelled as she edged down the hall. "Help."

"I'll help you," Skulker said as he reached forward and grabbed Sam by the shoulder. Sam managed to squeak out a squeal of terror before unconsciousness claimed her.

* * *

Danny flew back into Vlad's mansion, and down into the living room, where he had left the thermos containing Vlad, sitting on the coffee table. His stomach lurched as he caught sight of the ghost of the Dairy King, sitting on the couch, holding the thermos in his lap.

"Well hello there," the ghost said in his thick Midwestern accent. "How are you doing young man?"

"I'm fine," Danny said slowly as he eyed the thermos in the ghosts hands, the last thing he wanted was Vlad released, Danny didn't think he'd be able to catch the fruit loop again.

"I've just been keeping Vladdy here company," the Dairy King said as he shook the thermos. "He's in a pretty bad mood, dontcha know."

Danny smiled wryly as he continued to walk forward. "I would expect that he is."

The ghost cocked his head at Danny. "You want I should let him go like he's demanding, or do you have him locked away for some goodly kinda purpose?"

"Uh," Danny replied slowly. "I think it's better to leave him in the thermos."

"Oh," the ghost said in almost surprise. "Well maybe you ought to ask your friend right there what you should be doin with him. I don't think he agrees." The Dairy King pointed behind Danny who turned and came face to face with Clockwork who was wearing his usual grim countenance.

"Hello, Daniel," Clockwork said emotionlessly.

"Clockwork," Danny replied in a relieved tone, then looked at the Dairy King and the thermos. "I was just about to come see you."

"Yes," Clockwork said as he transitioned from old man to young child. "I am aware of your plans to leave Vlad in my care, but I am warning you now, a place out of time beside that evil creature, who call himself by your name, is not the best option."

Danny frowned heavily. "Are you suggesting I should kill him?" he asked in almost shock. As he turned back to the Dairy King who was looking back and forth between Danny and Clockwork.

"I said nothing of the kind," Clockwork answered almost chastisingly. "I merely stated that putting your old enemy in my care would not be the best option."

"What would you suggest?" Danny asked in exasperation. "Let him go? Let him hurt Sam? My child? My family? Me?"

"Of course not," Clockwork answered calmly. "I was not suggesting letting Plasmius roam free. I offer the option that he can be rehabilitated. As evil as he is, he's not all bad Daniel." Danny made a sound of disgust.

"What's your suggestion?" Danny questioned, he was feeling more and more like chucking the thermos into an incinerator, or maybe just locking it away in a safe. He didn't believe Vlad could be rehabilitated.

"Daniel," Clockwork began again. "It would be dangerous to place Plasmius next to Dan. Imagine if their criminal minds began working together. As a team they would pose more of a threat to your family, to your world, than you can imagine. Do not ask this of me. It is not something I can do."

"Who is going to rehabilitate him?" Danny asked coolly, realizing his options were dwindling.

"There is a creature, an ally, she does not live in the Ghost Zone, but she does have the technology and power to deal with Vlad." Clockwork shifted from the form of a young man to old. "She will care for him, rehabilitate him, and perhaps someday you will be grateful that you didn't throw him in the incinerator as you are considering."

"Perhaps?" Danny asked incredulously. "Or perhaps I will regret listening to you."

"I can assure you," Clockwork answered stiffly. "You may possibly regret not doing as I suggest, but I will not force your hand, you must chose your path on your own."

Danny growled in disgust. "What's her name?" he finally asked. "This creature you want to entrust Vlad to?"

"Marissa," Clockwork said stoically. "Her name is Marissa, but that is all I can tell you."

Danny rolled his eyes and looked at the Dairy King who had the thermos clutched to his chest. The ghost sidled away from Danny a little, then eyed Clockwork who was watching dispassionately.

"Well," the cheese head ghost said as he scratched his head with one hand as he clutched the thermos with the other. "I don't know about these plans you're both makin for my dear nephew."

"Please," Danny appealed the Dairy King gruffly. "Letting Vlad loose would be bad, very bad."

"I don't know," the ghost said reluctantly. "I don't want to see him comin to any harm, I did care for him dontcha know. He may be a lunatic. He may be always up to no good but he's still my family, and I love the idiot, dontcha know."

"And I love my wife," Danny replied angrily. "Who Vlad tried to kill, and my unborn child, who Vlad also tried to kill…"

The Dairy King nodded his head in understanding then looked at Clockwork. "And you say he can be saved? Turned into a goodly kinda person?"

Clockwork smiled wryly. "I do not recall saying he could be transformed into a good person, but rather that he could be rehabilitated from his current criminality. I am not aware of a power in either realm that would be able to turn the creature that he is into a good person, but he can be turned to good purposes."

The Dairy King looked at Danny worriedly then moved toward Clockwork. "I think I'd rather be giving my little Vladdy a chance. I'm a softy at heart dontcha know." He shot an apologetic look at Danny as he handed the thermos to Clockwork.

"Thank you," the Keeper of Time responded as he tucked the thermos into his cloak. Then turned to Danny.

Danny had nothing to say. His shoulders drooped slightly in defeat and he shook his head as a deep ache settled in the pit of his stomach. He wasn't comfortable with Vlad being let out of the thermos, and he knew that's what Clockwork intended to do

"Daniel," Clockwork said sympathetically in a rare show of emotion. "I understand your reservations regarding this course of action…."

"They're more than reservations," Danny interrupted almost angrily. "I'm supposed to entrust my family's safety to some creature I've never heard of?"

"Do you have reservations entrusting your safety to me?" Clockwork asked as he shifted from an old man to a child.

Danny looked at Clockwork thoughtfully. He knew his mentor's actions and words were extremely carefully chosen. Clockwork rarely made concrete statements, leaving his comments about specific situations, open ended and sometimes puzzling.

"My safety," Danny replied, irritated at the feeling that he was negotiating with Clockwork. "Yes, but what about Sam and the baby? What about my parents? Jazz and Tuck?"

Clockwork looked at Danny in consternation. "I'm not trying to negotiate with you between Vlad's life and the safety of your family. There is only so much I can tell you without giving you forbidden glimpses of a possible future."

"Tell me what you can," Danny almost demanded, but then softened his tone knowing that Clockwork's expectations of his patience had grown through the last few years, and that the ghost wouldn't tolerate impudence.

Clockwork's form shifted to that of a young man as he looked at Danny thoughtfully. "Because of who are, there will always be certain dangers for those associated with you, Daniel. I can make no promises, but I can say for certainty that there will come a time in your life when you will be grateful for the grace you have afforded to your enemy."

Danny closed his eyes, hating the darker aspects of his future and the fact that Clockwork spoke of that future in riddles, ambiguous possibilities, and vague warnings. The Keeper of Time had long ago alluded to Sam's return, but Danny hadn't understood the meaning until now, and looking back at the other things Clockwork hadn't told him and measuring them against what he said now, Danny began too feel extremely unsettled.

"Fine,' Danny said bitterly, knowing that the choice really was out of his hands, Clockwork was just allowing him the illusion of having control of the situation.

"There will be joy for you," Clockwork told Danny gently. "Take those moments and savor each one of them as if they were to be your last." Danny closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, Clockwork was gone, leaving Danny standing in the living room with the Dairy King.

"Go to your wife," the Dairy King told Danny. "I can hold down the fort while your gone. I always have, dontcha know. I am kinda gouda at it." The ghost chuckled and Danny nodded his head then left without another word.

* * *

Jazz walked out of her bedroom to find Skulker bent over an unconscious Sam. "Get away from her," she yelled as she rushed forward, giving no thought to the fact that she had no weapons with which to fight the ghost.

Skulker moved away and let Jazz bend over Sam. "What are you doing here?" Jazz asked the ghost angrily as she examined her sister in law.

"I was sent here," Skulker answered coolly. "I wasn't going to hurt her."

"Just leave," Jazz growled.

"We heard the little ghost hybrid married his sweetheart," Skulker started. "I was sent to confirm it, when I did I was sent back to confront the whelp and his bride. They didn't invite us to their wedding."

Jazz looked at Skulker a moment then rolled her eyes. "There wasn't time," she told him as she patted Sam's face.

"It was rude," Skulker pronounced. Jazz gave him an exasperated look then turned her attention to the woman laying on the floor.

"Sam," Jazz said softly. Sam's eyes fluttered open then grew wide with terror as she looked from Jazz to Skulker.

"It's all right," Jazz told her. "He's not here for anything but to be a nuisance." She helped Sam up slowly. Sam looked at Skulker with wide eyes.

"Skulker hasn't been an enemy of Danny's for a long time," Jazz told Sam calmly as they headed into the kitchen.

"I got tired of doing Vlad's dirty work," Skulker added as he followed them into the kitchen. "Decided that Danny's friendship was a better gamble than aligning with Vlad."

"When did this happen?" Sam asked feeling a little woozy as she sat at the table. Skulker was sitting across from her while Jazz brewed tea. It was hard to reconcile the hulking hunter as an ally. Sam felt extremely uncomfortable.

"A year or two ago," Skulker answered then scratched his head thoughtfully. "Yeah a little over a year ago. It came down to a matter of honor. Vlad has none." Skulker shrugged one shoulder. "Easy choice."

Jazz gave Sam an amused look as she sat a dainty cup of tea before Skulker and a mug in front Sam then sat herself. Sam opened her mouth as Skulker picked up the cup and sipped daintily at the tea.

"How do you do that?" Sam asked as she looked at the ghost in shock. "You're in a suit…that's not your real…ummm…body."

Skulker blinked and looked at the tea. "Don't question the physics of ghostliness," he replied. "There are some things which just are, that can't be explained."

"Uh huh," Sam said then looked at Jazz who just shrugged her shoulders and sipped at her tea.

Sam was about to say something more when something materialized behind Skulker. Her eyes went wide and she smiled warmly. Jazz put her cup to her mouth to hid her own grin.

"Boo!" Danny said as he snuck up behind Skulker who spun around and fired an ecto shot at Danny who quickly moved out of the way as Sam and Jazz screamed in horror.

Both Skulker and Danny cracked up laughing and then grasped each other's hands and hugged. Danny and the ghost then excused themselves to talk, leaving Jazz and Sam a little stunned.

"These are the types of things you have to get used to now," Jazz warned.

"Tea with Skulker?" Sam asked wryly.

"Among others," Jazz answered. "The Box Ghost, whose name is Brutus by the way and his wife Bertha, or the Lunch Lady as you know her, Dora, Technus, Kitty and Johnny, there are others, but they're not over quite as often."

"But not Ember or Desiree?" Sam questioned. Jazz's eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

Jazz was about to say more, but Danny walked back into the kitchen, in his human form and sat down beside Sam. "Skulker says he's sorry for scaring you," he told Sam as he took her hand. "He won't do it again."

Sam sighed and shook her head. "What happened with Vlad?"

Danny frowned then looked at Jazz for a moment. "Okay," she said angrily. "I'm not wanted in here. I'll go." She picked up her mug of tea and left the kitchen, grumbling something about her brother kicking her out of her own kitchen.

"Her own kitchen?" Danny asked as he turned to look at his retreating sister's back.

"Long story," Sam answered. "I'll tell you mine after you tell me yours."

Danny took a deep breath then pulled her over into his lap. She smiled at him for a moment before kissing his cheek. Danny sighed as his arm around her waist tightened.

"I had just got back from a meeting when Vlad showed up," Danny began.

"Vlad?" Sam asked in shock. "Vlad's ghost?"

"No," Danny answered as he shook his head. "He wasn't dead. All this time he'd just been playing around with us, trying to get me to join in his stupid, twisted game."

Sam sighed and put her head on Danny's shoulder. "What did you do to him?" Sam asked after a long lapse of silence.

"Not half the things I wanted to," Danny answered tiredly. "We sparred verbally for awhile and then I had an idea. I duplicated myself into four, distracted him with three of the duplicates while I went for a thermos."

"You what?" Sam asked as she pulled away and looked at Danny. "You can duplicate into four?"

"Eight," he answered almost proudly. Sam raised her eyebrows and he chuckled. "But I can only manage four."

"So you came back with the thermos," Sam began as she prompted Danny to continue the story.

"And I trapped Vlad in it," Danny told her. Sam's mouth dropped open and Danny continued. "I came to see you. When I got back the Dairy King had the thermos and then Clockwork showed up and…"

"You're going to let Clockwork keep Vlad in the thermos?" Sam questioned incredulously.

"No," Danny answered. "Clockwork has other plans." Sam shook her head, but didn't press Danny to tell her what the other plans were.

"So everything is going to be all right now?"

"Yes," Danny replied. "Vlad is gone. The danger is gone, for now."

"For now," Sam repeated and Danny searched her face. He didn't want to worry her, he just wanted to take his happiness where he could get it.

"Tucker and Jazz are married," Sam told him as she feathered her fingers through his hair. "They've been keeping it secret for months."

Danny blinked, then smiled and started laughing. Sam watched him worriedly for a moment but he continued to smile. "I'm happy for them," he finally said. "Hopefully they'll leave us alone."

Sam raised her eyebrows. "Really? You want them to leave us alone?" Danny gave her a heavy lidded look then pulled her closer and kissed her.

"Alone could be good," Sam whispered against his lips as the kiss ended.

"Want to go now?" Danny asked sleepily in a low growly tone which sent chills all the way down to Sam's toes, which involuntarily curled.

"We need to tell your parents," Sam answered regretfully.

"No way," Danny said as he kissed Sam's neck. "What we do alone together is none of their business." Sam laughed then hugged Danny tight.

"Take me home," Sam whispered. Danny nodded his head as he transformed into Phantom, lifted her in his arms and carried her away.

"Hey guys," Jazz said as she walked back into the kitchen. "Do you think you could tell Mom and Dad about the baby tonight so Tuck and I…." She trailed off as she surveyed the empty room. She let out a sigh of consternation then walked out.

"I am sick of waiting! Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting! This isn't fair!" she yelled at no one in particular then growled in frustration. "Damn it!"

The End

* * *

**This story is dedicated to my dearest friend Bluemyst19, without whom it would never have been written. She has been kind enough to listen to me with patience and kindness as this story took me over. Thank you Blue, I'm truly thankful for your friendship. What is this marvelous grace which has sent such a friend into my life? How can I be worthy of the love of such a beautiful soul? Thank you Blue. You brighten my life with your dear and sweet spirit. You truly are family in my heart…my sister, daughter.**

**  
To all my reviewers and the people who have honored this story with a place on their favorites, I am extremely grateful, I wish I could express to each of you personally, how much each and every review you've sent has meant to me, as well as your support of this story which has gripped me to the exclusion of all else. I love each and every one of you and am so incredibly grateful that you deemed this story worthy of your time and attention. You're the reason I keep writing, your impact on me is incredibly powerful. Thank you.**

**ArtemisArrows, I sent Vlad to you**

**This story actually has a bit of a theme song, God Blessed the Broken Road – Rascal Flatts**

**Now do me the favor of a review, since I worked so hard to get this to you. Thanks.**


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